Wildfires continue to burn around Bay County, with no rainfall in sight.

The largest continues to be the Clayton Road fire, which is burning at 162 acres and is 90% contained. The Nadine Road fire is at 17 acres and is 90% contained, while the Hauser Road fire is at 30 acres and 90% contained. Just outside of the county, to the west, the Steel Field road fire is burning at 33 acres and is 90% contained. Nearby, the Bunker Road fire is burning at 20 acres and is 90% contained. In northern Walton County, the 108-acre Sandy Pine fire is 90% contained. This comes after 16 days without any significant rainfall have resulted in abnormally dry conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Despite a potential for thunderstorms on April 23, the National Weather Service doesn’t forecast any rain over the next seven days. Forecasters say wetting rains aren’t likely outside of isolated pockets. Bay County continues to gain points on the Keetch-Byram Drought Index; however, its score is lower than much of the state, not even reaching moderate drought conditions. Simultaneously, the three largest fires in Florida are in Bay County. “The combination of lower relative humidities and higher winds is a direct reflection of fires in the area,” said a spokesperson for the Florida Forest Service. “While KBDI is lower, our fuels can cure easily with this combo.” The spokesperson had told the News Herald during the initial coverage of the Clayton Road fire that debris from Hurricane Michael was feeding the blaze. The dry conditions may not last too much longer. The Climate Prediction Center anticipates near-normal precipitation to return over the next six to ten days and a low probability of above-average precipitation over the next two weeks. Outlooks sour over the next four weeks as they predict the return of below-average rainfall.