Thousands of Acres of Everglades Are Burning — What Caused the Fire?

The Everglades are known for being full of flora and fauna, some of which most of the rest of the world has never seen in the wild. But the large and expansive portion of Florida's wetlands — the Everglades is approximately 1.5 million acres in size — is also known for being particularly vulnerable to certain natural and man-made disasters, including flooding and wildfires.

In August 2025, the Everglades were rocked by the latter of those two things, as several thousand acres caught on fire.

Officials worked overtime to figure out what caused the Everglades fire, and how to battle the blaze that sent smoke into nearby areas like Miami-Dade and Miami Beach, where air quality standards took a hit as the haze settled in on the region.

You can learn what they discovered below, as well as how they are working to keep the fire from spreading to some of the nearby parts of the Sunshine State.

As we mentioned, the Everglades are particularly susceptible to wildfires. That's because the dense brush located within the Everglades can dry out, making it particularly vulnerable to lightening strikes, according to Newsweek. Because of the size of this portion of Florida, and the inaccessibility of some of the more remote parts of the park, those fires are hard to identify and to fight once they get going.

The publication says that a U.S. Geological Survey report even supports that fact, and states that wildfires have played a massive role in shaping the ecosystem over the years. Not only does it alter the chemistry of the soil in the region, but it can also influence the populations of everything from wildlife to vegetation.

As for the cause of the August 2025 fire, while it seems too soon for officials to tell exactly what was behind the blaze, drought seems to have played a role.

As of Aug. 20, 2025, there were believed to be two different fires burning in the park: the Mile Marker 39 Fire and the Sawgrass Fire.

Both blazes were located within the western part of Broward County and had burned more than 17,400 acres. The most recent containment updates had come just the day prior, and at that time, authorities had admitted that none of the fire had been contained, according to local NBC affiliate NBC Miami.

The heavy winds sweeping into the area didn't exactly help things, and instead, they created hazardous conditions for nearby areas where the National Weather Service had issued an air quality alert.

The wind from Hurricane Erin will likely continue to add to Florida's troubles, as the massive storm continues to push waves and wind into the east coast even as it remains hundreds of miles away from land.

Hopefully, the wind gusts don't also add literal fuel to the fire, causing it to grow in size.