BACKGROUND: The National Weather Service (NWS) has positioned a team of specially trained meteorologists in Florida to provide on-site microscale weather forecasts for firefighters. This unique NWS group is comprised of experienced fire weather forecasters, known as Incident Meteorologists, who deploy from locations throughout the United States to support wildfire operations. This consolidation of NWS resources assures maximum expertise on-site to assess weather conditions that affect fires and maintain fire fighter safety. Media covering wildfires are encouraged to contact the National Weather Service and learn more about this program and arrange interviews.

The National Weather Service offices in Florida have been supporting the effort through coordination and forecasts. NWS Southern Region Headquarters has opened a 24-hour Fire Weather Support Center to service the needs of the field personnel involved with the Florida fire effort.

INFORMATION ON THE WORLDWIDE WEB:

From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):
The National Weather Service Office at Tampa Bay is the coordination center for NWS support to the multiple fires. Forecasts for the state are available at http://www.marine.usf.edu/nws/mornfire

NOAA has placed satellite imagery of the fires in Florida on the web. The imagery, in GIF or JPEG format, is located at http://www.osei.noaa.gov. Click on "fires," then go to the USA directory, and select the image of interest.

Movie loops of the fires are available at: http://www.goes.noaa.gov/floridafires.html

For additional general information on the NWS Fire Weather Program, please look at http://www.boi.noaa.gov/firewx.htm

At the NWS Southern Region Headquarters, links for forecasts, assessment maps, etc: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ftproot/ssd/html/firewx.htm

From the National Interagency Fire Center:
The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho (http://www.nifc.gov), has many useful links including the INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT, which updates weather and other fire information for fires around the country: http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.html. Fire news issued by NIFC: http://www.nifc.gov/news/index.html

For more information contact the following people by phone or e-mail.

Marilu Trainor - National Weather Service Public Affairs, (801) 524-5692 ext. 226.
Rich Ochoa - NWS Staff Meteorologist, National Interagency Fire Center, (208) 334-9862.
Ken Graham - Marine/Public Service Meteorologist, NWS Southern Region HQ, (817) 978-2652.

Information on Florida's unusual weather that set the stage for its raging forest fires has been placed on the World Wide Web by NOAA.

The Web site, developed by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, was unveiled by Vice President Al Gore, who visited fire sites in Florida. The Web site, titled "Florida Wild Fires and Climate Extremes," explains how Florida's unusual weather led to the fires.

The unusually wet mild winter in Florida promoted abundant growth in the underbrush. This weather was immediately followed by a severe drought during April, May and June, which rapidly dried out the dense underbrush. This combination – wet and mild in the winter, dry and hot in the summer -- provided abundant fuel to the wildfires throughout Florida.

Details on recent abnormal weather, including temperature and precipitation as well as drought indices, are available on the Web site. Links to related Web sites, such as NOAA satellite imagery of the fires and the fire forecast, are provided.

The Web site can be reached at:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ol/climate/research/1998/fla/florida.html

For more information contact Pat Viets at (301) 457-5005.