Smoke rises over Big Cypress National Preserve

On February 22, 2026, a wildland fire was discovered in Big Cypress National Preserve, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Naples, Florida. Dubbed the National fire, it moved through dry vegetation and sent a plume of smoke over parts of the preserve and nearby communities.

A satellite image taken on the afternoon of February 25 captured the smoke plume. By February 25 the blaze had burned around 24,000 acres (9,700 hectares), and winds shifted from carrying smoke southward to pushing it north. Reduced visibility from the smoke briefly closed I-75—known as Alligator Alley—and the haze contributed to smog over Lake Okeechobee.

The fire continued to spread, reaching just over 35,000 acres (14,000 hectares) by February 28; as of March 2 it remained roughly the same size and was 38 percent contained. Its cause remains under investigation, though officials noted that ample fuel—including vegetation dried by persistent, extreme drought and damaged by recent frost—helped drive the spread.

United States, Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

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