The Brief
- The latest update of the federal drought map shows that most of the Tampa Bay area is officially in severe drought.
- Forestry officials have already responded to wildfires in Citrus and Hernando counties this week.
The Withlacoochee Forestry Center of the Florida Forest Service said it’s already responded to nine wildfires in 2026 in the Tampa Bay area. The latest one was in Citrus County, and the current weather isn’t enough to keep the wildfires down.
What we know:
The Tampa Bay area has been hurting for rain this winter, which is normal for the dry season this time of year. But, the prolonged period of low rainfall has caused a severe drought.
“We’ve also had some frost, you know, so that dries out that the grass and your plants and the underbrush as well,” said Lela Braunsch, a wildfire mitigation specialist with the Withlacoochee Forestry Center of the Florida Forest Service.
Braunsch said all of that is fuel for wildfires. As a wildfire mitigation specialist, she said they’ve been busy.…