Florida, 1998

Wildfire in Florida, July 10, 1998

July 10, 1998 · NWS JAX · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

Flordia's wildfires began on May 25, 1998 and burnt parts of Northeast Florida. A large area of high pressure settled over Florida in the late Spring, keeping the traditional thunderstorms from forming.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
14
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
15

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS JAX wrote it up.

Flordia's wildfires began on May 25, 1998 and burnt parts of Northeast Florida. A large area of high pressure settled over Florida in the late Spring, keeping the traditional thunderstorms from forming. Lightning sparked most of the brush fires in hard to reach dry woods. Total cost across Northeast Florida will exceed $200 million.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Alachua

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
Alachua County, Gainesville
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
29.675, -82.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

7205 acres, One business destroyed.

Wildfire, Baker

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
Baker County, Macclenny
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.331, -82.285 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

105 acres.

Wildfire, Bradford

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
Bradford County, Starke
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
29.950, -82.169 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

2100 acres, two homes destroyed, four vehicles destroyed or damaged.

Wildfire, Clay

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
Clay County, Green Cove Spgs
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
29.983, -81.858 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

6,700 acres, two homes destroyed.

Wildfire, Columbia

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
Columbia County, Lake City
Injuries
4 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.224, -82.621 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

19,500 acres

Wildfire, Duval

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
Duval County, Jacksonville
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.335, -81.648 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

5,975 acres, one home and one business destroyed.

Wildfire, Flagler

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
Flagler County, Bunnell
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
29.471, -81.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

75,000 acres, 51 homes destroyed, 179 damaged. Twelve vehicles destroyed or damaged. Mandatory evacuation.

Wildfire, Gilchrist

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
Gilchrist County, Trenton
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
29.726, -82.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

40 acres.

Wildfire, Hamilton

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
Hamilton County, Jasper
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.496, -82.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

125 acres, 5 homes destroyed and two vehicles destroyed or damaged.

Wildfire, Marion

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
Marion County, Ocala
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
29.210, -82.057 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

3,000 acres, 4 homes and one business destroyed.

Wildfire, Nassau

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
Nassau County, Yulee
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.611, -81.771 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

2,727 acres, 6 homes and 12 businesses destroyed.

Wildfire, Putnam

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
Putnam County, Palatka
Injuries
5 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
29.609, -81.744 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

7,800 acres, four businesses destroyed, one vehicle.

Wildfire, St. Johns

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
St. Johns County, St Augustine
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
29.912, -81.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

10,440 acres, 8 homes and three businesses destoyed

Wildfire, Suwannee

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
Suwannee County, Live Oak
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.196, -82.991 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Union

When
July 10, 12:01 AM EST
Where
Union County, Lake Butler
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.044, -82.371 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

13,000 acres.

What these are

Wildfire
A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Florida in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, July 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5662852, 5662853, 5662854, 5662855, 5662856, 5662857, 5662858, 5662859, 5662860, 5662861, 5662862, 5662863, 5662864, 5662865, 5662866.