PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Three wildfires near the border of Palm Beach and Broward County continued to burn out-of-control Friday, charring roughly 16,000 acres, according to officials.
The fires are burning west of Coral Springs and just south of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Two of them are each 20% contained, while the third has no containment.
The Florida Forest Service said it's monitoring the fires from the ground and air, but at this point, the flames are not impacting any homes or traffic.
Exclusive video from WPTV Chopper 5 Friday showed flames burning up the dry grass and smoke shooting into the sky.
WATCH CHOPPER 5 VIDEO:
WPTV First Alert Meteorologist James Wieland said the winds shifted to the southwest overnight Friday, pushing smoke east into Palm Beach County.
"This time, these winds will last a little bit longer, through the mid-day or early afternoon hours. Maybe even all day," Wieland said. "They'll be real light, though, so that may contain some smoke."
Wieland said the latest Drought Monitor showed "severe" drought conditions in area where the fires are burning.
"This is where the least amount of rain here has fallen and the driest conditions are," Wieland said. "Along the coast, we're doing a lot better."
The Florida Forest Service said multiple lightning strikes Wednesday ignited the grass and vegetation, which are very dry this time of year due to low rainfall.
Wieland said the second and third weeks of May are typically the driest weeks of the year ahead of the summer rainy season.
Officials hope rain and natural barriers will help contain the flames through the weekend.
