MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — This brush fire season has been one of the busiest in years in Florida. Tens of thousands of acres have burned, and firefighters say the threat is far from over.
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So far, more than 2,200 fires have burned—not even halfway through 2026. The yearly average is just 2,400.
Brush fires affect every taxpayer, and being careless costs money. The total budget for the Florida Forest Service is more than $181 million, and another $5 million has been spent so far in 2026 combatting brush fires.
“This fire season has been the busiest in 15 years, approximately,” Kevin MacEwen, with the FFS, said. “(The) number of fires, (the) size of fires has increased our need to be ready.”
The agency is armed with 10 helicopters and nearly 100 bulldozers, but a powerful new tool is now helping firefighters stay ahead of the flames. It’s a drone.
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It is capable of targeting certain areas and sees hot spots the naked eye can’t. It can also drop balls — about the size of a paintball — filled with chemicals that ignite fires to be used as flame barriers, stopping bigger fires in their tracks.
“(It) keep(s) it within a certain area to where it’s not hopping these levees and endangering a neighborhood,” Pete Donahue, with the FFS, said.
With this extremely active fire season, state officials are urging the public to pay attention to burn bans.
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