Wildfires burn in Clay and Putnam counties. | News4Jax
Published on April 20, 2026 at 9:35 am
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As wildfires burned Monday in Clay and Putnam counties, officials warned that fire danger will remain high in Central and North Florida.
State and local fire crews were battling two fast-spreading wildfires just a few miles apart from each other near the Clay-Putnam County line, threatening structures and prompting voluntary evacuations, News4Jax reported.
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The Florida Forest Service says crews responded shortly after 5:30 p.m. Sunday to a fire in Clay County, south of Green Cove Springs, which had burned 1,700 to 1,800 acres and was 0% contained as of Sunday evening.
Clay County officials say sparks from a train likely started the fire near County Road 209 and Maranda Drive.
Voluntary evacuations were underway for residents living off Varney Rd. and Woodward Lane in Green Cove Springs. The evacuation center is Shiloh Baptist Church, at 1055 County Road 226, according to county officials.
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Crews from Jacksonville, St. Johns and Putnam assisted in the firefighting. Flight crews from Chattanooga completed four drops to protect structures in the area.
There were no reports of any structures damaged yet, but officials said they were threatened.
Clay County Fire Chief Lorin Mock said unfavorable weather conditions will likely make the response to this fire a multiday event.
“With the really low humidity that is forecast for the next couple of days we are going to have a hard time working it and getting control,” Mock said.
A second fire, just a few miles south in Putnam County, was burning north of Bostwick, east of U.S. 17. That fire has burned 700 acres and was 5% contained as of Sunday evening.
The Florida Forest Service says buildings were threatened in the area of Eagle Creek and West Tocoi, but the agency did not give a specific number.
Winds on Monday will be mainly out of the northeast around 15 mph, but gusts will be elevated up to 30 mph. Relative humidity will be extremely low, between 15% and 25%.
Make sure to avoid open flames or sparks and park your vehicles off the dry grass. If you smoke, make sure to discard cigarettes properly, as they can quickly ignite fires, and the wind could make these fires become erratic quickly.
Remember, extreme drought continues to dominate most of the region, and we do not expect conditions to change much by the end of the week when the new drought monitor report is released.
