News Release

Crews Make Headway on Cypress Camp Trail Fire, Now 40% Contained

Cypress Camp Trail Fire- Big Cypress National Preserve

Chelsea Michael, USFS, Ocala NF

News Release Date: April 8, 2023

Contact: Riki Hoopes, 786-886-9342

Contact: Scott Pardue, 239-695-1107

OCHOPEE, FL – Fire crews made significant progress today on the Cypress Camp Trail Fire with containment rising to 40%, up 30% from yesterday. The fire is currently 9,722 acres.

Resources from the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Florida Forest Service continue to provide assistance in the suppression efforts on the Cypress Camp Trail Fire.

Today, crews worked on the northeastern perimeter of the fire, utilizing control and suppression burn out operations to bring fire to an area with swampy fuels, which can be used as a natural holding feature. Aviation resources conducted additional ignition operations to tie the western edge of the fire into I-75 and clean up pockets of unburned fuel along the southern perimeter, adjacent to I-75.

Suppression operations will continue tomorrow with crews holding and improving current control lines, and utilizing direct and indirect attack tactics to continue to increase containment.

Closures continue to remain in effect for the fire area including west of Nobles Grade, north of I-75, east of SR-29, and south of the northern Big Cypress National Preserve boundary line.

Visitors may continue to see fire and smoke from the roadways and the risk of smoke continues to remain the biggest concern. Travelers should use caution throughout the impacted area.