Wildfires Char 60,000 Acres Across Florida

MIAMI | A large fire in the Everglades and other smaller fires in various parts of Florida brought smoky conditions across Florida on Sunday, even as increased humidity in some areas was helping firefighting efforts.

The Florida Division of Forestry, which handles fires on state property, says it was fighting 90 fires around the state.

Those total about 39,500 acres, up about 500 acres from Saturday. The majority of fires are in Glades County around Lake Okeechobee and on the coast in Brevard County.

In addition, in Everglades National Park, which is federal property, another 21,000 acres were on fire. That fire was 20 percent contained, according to the Florida Division of Forestry.

No structures were threatened, but the Division of Forestry reported that the area is the only known habitat for the endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow.

Meanwhile, in the area around Lake Okeechobee, the Florida Highway Patrol was using electronic highway signs to warn people about lingering smoke, and areas along Florida's Treasure Coast were continuing to experience haze from the fires, said Division of Forestry spokeswoman Melissa Yunas.

In Brevard County, where a number of homes burned earlier in the week, fires were 75 percent contained on Sunday, up about 5 percent from the previous day, said State Division of Forestry spokesman Todd Schroeder.