- December 16, 2025
The upcoming fire season is looking grim, according to the Florida Division of Forestry.
Last year, 111 wildfires were recorded in Flagler County, and according to Florida Division of Forestry Manager Mike Kuypers, that number may be on the rise this spring.
“We got into (the fire season) a little early this year,” Kuypers told the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners Monday, March 5, at its regular meeting.
According to the short-term drought index, Flagler is “right on the edge” of moderate to severe conditions as of Friday, March 2, he said. But even though the short-term index is not too extreme, “the long-term drought is.”
Forecasts predict warmer, drier weather conditions, he said; most local swamps are dry; swamps that did not burn the previous 10 years will be difficult to control; and smoke will be an issue, due to an excess of dry fuels.
“Pretty much the entire peninsula of Florida is predicted above normal (drought) conditions,” he added, showing a map with most of Florida colored in red — the color signifying “above normal” significant-fire potential.
Most fires last year were lightning-caused, Kuypers explained, with the largest, a 5,136-acre blaze, occurring in Espanola. Mitigation efforts — such as control burns and mowing, which took place mostly in Palm Coast — were a major contributor in keeping flames in check, as well, he added, but securing outside resources remains a concern.
“I bring this up because, if you remember in 1998, we had to bring in resources from all over the United States,” Kuypers told the board.
This year, our biggest “competition” for resources will likely be the area of Arizona and New Mexico, he said. In addition, federal aid is generally not offered unless subdivisions are threatened, which means fires in areas like Espanola are generally not deemed a top priority.
Nationally, only 22 water tanker planes are available, as well.
A total of 54 acres of land were mitigated and 268 structures were protected last year in Flagler. That’s compared to 2.2 acres treated and 13 structures protected in St. Johns County, and 25 acres treated and 141 structures protected in Volusia.
This year, emphasis will be on prevention: reducing hazards, advocating safety, managing crew fatigue and conducting regular checks and thorough “mop-ups.”
“My personal feeling is that (the fires are) probably going to be as active as last year, if not more,” Kuypers said. “Probably as severe as ’98, but we hope not.”
Ideally, he added, Flagler will be hit with a tropical storm in May, which would moisten the ground. But storms are not expected.
Volusia-Flagler fire relations in peril?
County Administrator Craig Coffey notified the board March 5 that, following restructuring in Volusia County’s fire management, Flagler may have to reorganize emergency services in the south end of the county.
Staff recently received a letter from Volusia fire officials discontinuing an interlocal agreement between the two counties, effective at the end of the year. The discontinuance would mean local personnel would have to vacate a fire station on Old Dixie Road, south of Old Kings Road, which Volusia built but Flagler workers have independently occupied since its opening. It would also mean Volusia workers would vacate a fire station in Flagler, on Rima Ridge.
“That affects our fire coverage,” Coffey told the board. “They’ve rearranged how they fight fires, and they’ve not included us in that discussion.”
But Coffey believes the reorganization could be beneficial to Flagler.
“We’ve been expecting some of this, because there have been hints,” he told the board. “We’re looking at another station now. We’re looking at cost now. And we’ll come back to you with a plan probably in about the next 30 days.”
Still, commissioners emphasized the importance of not losing its presence in the southern edge of Flagler, where high forest density makes the area especially vulnerable to wildfires.
“I don’t know if (Volusia’s fire chief) is officially aware of how this is going to impact us,” Commissioner Milissa Holland said, suggesting Coffey travel south to speak face-to-face with Volusia’s county administrator. “This is a very, very high-risk area … (and) we want to make sure there’s adequate response times.”
“Sometimes, you get someone new in there and they come up with all these off-the-wall ideas,” Commissioner George Hanns added.
But Coffey remained optimistic.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to make sure we don’t leave any (residents) in danger,” Coffey said.
