Two wildfires caused by lightning are keeping the Everglades National Park in Homestead, Florida, on alert this Sunday, with thousands of acres affected and teams from the U.S. Forest Service working to contain them.
According to information from El Nuevo Herald, the first of the fires, named "Chipmunk Fire," was detected on Friday southwest of Shark Valley and is the larger of the two: as of this Sunday, it had burned 9,232 acres with only 30% containment.
The second fire, dubbed "Vulture Fire," was reported on Saturday east of Shark Valley Tram Road, also caused by a lightning strike.
This second focus is primarily moving southeast and has received some precipitation that has aided in its control: as of the close of this Sunday, it affected 286 acres and was 60% contained.
The flames of the "Chipmunk" remain active on the northern and eastern flanks, complicating firefighting efforts in that area.
As a safety measure, the National Park Service issued an emergency closure order in Shark Valley that encompasses the visitor center, trails, parking areas, and the Shark Valley Tram Road, one of the park's most frequented routes.
Firefighters are applying direct suppression at the edges of the fire and using indirect strategies to slow its spread, with trucks and aircraft deployed in the area.
The smoke from both fires is visible from Main Park Road and Highway 41, although authorities do not anticipate closures on the latter route.
These two fires add to an exceptionally active wildfire season in Florida during 2026: the park had already experienced the Highway 41 Fire in April, which burned over 6,500 acres; the Max Road Fire in May, consuming 5,650 acres in Miami-Dade and Broward counties; and the Coptic Fire in June, which affected 4,793 acres.
In total, Florida recorded more than 2,600 wildfires and over 175,000 acres destroyed since the beginning of 2026, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).
Authorities warned that additional resources will be mobilized if the situation requires it, while the closure of Shark Valley remains in effect until firefighters manage to control both fires.
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