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Smoke from a massive wildfire in the Big Cypress National Preserve reached as far as Okeechobee on the morning of Feb. 27.
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![Smoke from the National Fire in the Big Cypress Preserve resulted in smog conditions at Lock 7 Friday morning. This photo was taken at 11 a.m. on Feb. 27. [Photo by Katrina Elsken/Lake Okeechobee News]](/uploads/original/20260227-142434-41b-CW1_2993.JPG)
Smoke from a massive wildfire in the Big Cypress National Preserve reached as far as Okeechobee County on the morning of Feb. 27. Winds from the southwest pushed the smoke across the Big Lake, resulting in smog conditions that lasted until 11 a.m. along the lake’s northern shore.
According to the National Park Service, recent frost damage and an ongoing drought left South Florida vegetation at high risk of wildfire. The wildfire was first reported on Feb. 22 and as of Feb. 27 had covered more than 30,000 acres.
The blaze, dubbed the National Fire, is about 20 miles east of Naples. Smoke from the fire has caused some road closures.
While the National Park Service has not disclosed the cause of the fire, the Environmental Protection Agency lists it as “human caused.”
The 729,000 acres of the Big Cypress was designated a National Preserve in 1974.
Fire is part of the natural ecosystem in Florida. Fire cleans out the dead vegetation and makes room for new growth.
