Wildfire burning near Tallahassee International Airport 80% contained

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The U.S. Forest Service has confirmed that a wildfire in the Apalachicola National Forest, south and east of Tallahassee International Airport, is 80% contained. Monday afternoon.

On Facebook, the Forest Service dubbed the fire the Turkey Pond wildfire. It burned more than 150 acres. The Forest Service said that due to constant prescribed burning, fuels for the fire are scarce.

The Forest Service has stated that “prescribed fire is a planned fire used to achieve management objectives.”

We checked Monday's Fire Danger Index report. This fire is burning although the entire state is listed as having a low fire risk for June 24, 2024. This index is used to estimate the risk that a fire will break out and require suppression action an given day.

The first known chief meteorologist, Casanova Nurse, said a downpour moved over the fire area between 2:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday afternoon, potentially helping to suppress the spread of the flames.

Due to the proximity of the fire to the airport, we contacted TLH to see if the smoke was impacting operations. We are still waiting for a response. As for arriving flights, a plane from Miami is expected to arrive late later today. It is unclear what exactly is causing this delay. All other arrivals must be punctual. Departures from Tallahassee International Airport are on time for the remainder of the day.