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Crews Making Progress on Parliament Fire At Big Cypress National Preserve

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By NPT Staff - March 25th, 2017

The "Parliament" fire in Big Cypress National Preserve has mostly been creeping along the ground, burning in a mosaic pattern, according to park staff/NPS volunteer Joey Waves

While the wildfire burning in Big Cypress National Park in Florida has expanded to more than 25,000 acres, fire crews have been able to build containment lines around 40 percent of the blaze, according to a park release.

On Friday the firefighters worked with drip torches and a helicopter to “burn out” fuels along Monument Trail, and those operations added to the total acreage, which stood at 25,365 acres Friday evening.

Fire managers said the fire, nicknamed Parliament, has mostly been low-intensity and has left a mosaic pattern of unburned and burned areas. This type of fire activity will have long-term benefits for the landscape and wildlife by renewing habitat and promoting ecological diversity, park staff said.

A cause for the fire, which was spotted last Saturday, has not yet been determined.

Visitors and travelers should still expect to smell and see smoke along U.S. 41 and State Highway 29. 

A second small fire was located in the preserve Friday afternoon. Named the “Hotline Fire,” it is less than ten acres and was burning in a remote area of the preserve. A helicopter made water drops on the fire Friday and it was being monitored through the weekend.

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