Wildfire — Inland Collier County, Florida

2023-05-01 to 2023-05-16 · Inland Collier County, Florida

Event narrative

The Sandy Wildfire was first reported on May 1st approximately five miles north of US-41 near Mile Marker 56 in Collier County. By May 14th, the wildfire burned 19,814 acres of Big Cypress National Preserve and was 45% contained. The official date of full containment was May 16th. The wildfire forced closures of US-41 and several recreational trails due to smoke. There were no reported damages to personal properties, injuries, or fatalities.

Wider weather episode

The Sandy Wildfire burned nearly 20,000 acres in Big Cypress National Preserve from early to mid-May. With high relative humidity and suppression efforts, containment was completed by mid-May.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1098465. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.