- April 18, 2024
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According to Flagler County Fire Rescue Chief Don Petito, the ground in Flagler County is so dry that the organic material in the soil itself is burning.
“It looks like the dirt is boiling,” Petito said. He also said it sounds like the ground is crunchy when he walks on it near the fires, which is a bad sign.
Bob Pickering, commonly known as “BP,” is a technician with Flagler Emergency Management and is often the key weather adviser for Petito and the firefighters. He said after the media briefing Thursday, June 16, that the fires essentially create their own weather systems. Large wildfires can form convection currents that collide with other air masses and can result in thunderstorms and clouds called “pyro-cumulus clouds.”
One storm yesterday, according to one of Pickering’s weather spotters, generated wind gusts of more than 60 mph. The winds are coming from all directions throughout the day, making it impossible to predict. Fires from other counties may also be affecting Flagler's weather.
He said it would take several inches of rain to solve Flagler’s drought and fire-danger problems.
