Right now, if you step outside in Lee County, the air feels different. It’s that crisp, deceptively dry Florida winter that tourists love and fire marshals absolutely dread. People are searching for news on a Fort Myers fire today because, honestly, the smoke is starting to become a regular guest in our skies.
But here’s the thing: while everyone is looking for one "big" blaze, the real story is much more complicated. It’s not just one fire. It's a combination of a "flash drought," a lack of hurricane-season rain in 2025, and a landscape that is basically waiting for a single cigarette butt to go up in flames.
The Current State of Fort Myers Fire Risk
We’re sitting in what experts like Jesse Lavender from the Florida Forest Service are calling a potentially historic brush fire season. If you’ve seen smoke columns near Ortiz Avenue or felt that scratchy throat while driving down I-75 today, you’re not imagining it.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), which we use to measure soil moisture, is creeping toward that dangerous 500-mark in Southwest Florida. Once you hit that number, local governments start hitting the "panic" button—or, more accurately, the burn ban button.
South Trail Fire & Rescue and the Fort Myers Fire Department are staying busy, but it’s not always the dramatic, house-eating fires you see on the news. It’s the "nuisance" fires. A 2-acre brush fire here, a storage shed fire at a nursery there. These smaller incidents are the "check engine light" for our environment.
Why 2026 is Different
Usually, the hurricanes we hate actually do us a favor. They soak the water table so deeply that it takes months to dry out. But look back at late 2025. We didn't get the late-season deluges we expected.
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Now, in mid-January 2026, we are paying the price.
- Humidity Drops: We’ve seen relative humidity dipping into the 20% and 30% range. In Florida, that’s basically desert conditions.
- Fuel Loading: All that lush green grass from last summer? It’s now brown, dead, and ready to burn.
- Wind Factors: The North-Northwest winds we’re getting right now act like a bellows on a fireplace.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Smoke
I see it on social media every time there’s a Fort Myers fire today. Someone posts a photo of a hazy sunset and everyone assumes a neighborhood is burning down.
Actually, a lot of what you’re smelling might be prescribed burns. The Florida Forest Service and agencies like those at Big Cypress National Preserve are currently trying to burn off "fuel" before the weather gets even hotter in March.
It’s a race against time. If they don’t burn it now under controlled conditions, Mother Nature will burn it later with a lightning strike. And she isn't nearly as careful about where the smoke goes.
The Hidden Danger: Peat Fires
There is a specific kind of fire that happens in Fort Myers that nobody talks about until it's too late. Peat fires.
In areas with heavy organic soil, the fire doesn't just stay on the surface. It goes underground. It can smolder for weeks, eating through roots and soil. You think the fire is out, and then a week later, a tree 50 feet away spontaneously combusts because the ground underneath it is 800 degrees.
If you see smoke coming out of the "dirt" near construction sites or undeveloped lots in Lehigh Acres or South Fort Myers, that’s a 911 call. Don't wait.
Real-World Impacts on the Ground Today
The South Trail Fire & Rescue District recently had to temporarily close access to Station 62 for concrete repairs, but don't let that fool you—they are at full surge capacity. When the fire risk is "Moderate" to "High," like it is this week, the response times for brush trucks are prioritized over almost everything else.
The reality is that "fire season" has moved up. It used to be a March-to-May problem. Now? We're seeing active suppression calls in mid-January.
If you’re driving near Colonial Boulevard or the 6-Mile Cypress Slough, keep your windows up. Even if there isn't an active evacuation, the particulate matter in the air from these smaller brush fires can trigger asthma attacks faster than you can say "Sunshine State."
How to Protect Your Property Right Now
You don't need to be a professional firefighter to lower the risk of a Fort Myers fire today reaching your back door. It’s basically about creating "defensible space."
Stop putting dried mulch right up against your vinyl siding. It’s like putting a fuse directly on your house. Instead, use river rock or gravel for the first 18 inches.
Clear your gutters. I know, it’s a pain. But a stray ember from a brush fire half a mile away can land in a gutter full of dry pine needles and start a roof fire in seconds.
Check your "Outdoor Burn" status. In Lee County, burn bans can be enacted overnight. If you’re planning a backyard bonfire or clearing some land, check the Lee County Government website first. If the wind is over 15 mph, just don't do it. It’s not worth the $500 fine—or the risk of burning down your neighbor's fence.
Actionable Next Steps for Residents
Stay informed by signing up for LeeAlert. It’s the fastest way to get evacuation notices or "shelter in place" orders if a brush fire jumps a containment line.
Keep your lawn mowed. Short green grass is a firebreak; tall, dead grass is a highway for flames.
Lastly, if you smell smoke but don't see flames, check the Florida Forest Service's "Current Wildfire" map. It’ll tell you if there’s a permitted burn nearby. If the map is clear and you see "white" or "black" smoke (not just gray haze), call it in. In this weather, five minutes is the difference between a small patch of burnt grass and a major emergency.