Wildfires burning in the Everglades have consumed around 11,000 acres, according to a post by Everglades National Park.
The Chipmunk Fire was first reported on Aug. 21 and "located about two miles southwest of Shark Valley," according to a release by the National Park Service. It had burned about 11,000 acres as of Sunday and was 40% contained, said Everglades National Park in a Facebook post. The Vulture Fire, first reported on Aug. 22 and "located east of the Shark Valley Tram Road," had burned about 347 acres as of Sunday and was 80% contained.
According to the park's Facebook page, Shark Valley remained closed on Sunday, as firefighters from the U.S. Wildland Fire Service worked to extinguish both fires.
The Chipmunk and Vulture fires were
caused by lightning, according to the press release.
Visitors should check the park's alerts and conditions page for the "latest information," according to Everglades National Park.
Florida has seen thousands of wildfires since beginning of year
Since the beginning of the year, 50,580 fires have burned more than 7.7 million acres nationwide, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. In Florida alone, more than 2,800 wildfires have started since January, cumulatively burning over 197,000 acres.
According to an outlook by the National Interagency Fire Center, which "identifies areas by month for the next four months with above, below, and near normal significant fire potential," South Florida will see "above" normal significant wildland fire potential in August.
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida Everglades wildfires burn 11,000 acres, close part of the park
