Where are fires burning in Florida this morning? Affected roads

Recent rain may have helped some areas of Florida, but the drought continues and wildfires continue to burn.

Visibility on some roads has been affected in some areas early May 8.

The air quality has diminished in a few counties, especially in Northeast Florida.

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Here's a look at current conditions.

Current drought conditions in Florida

TheU.S. Drought Monitoron May 5 provided the followingbreakdown on how bad the drought is in Florida:

Drought and dryness categories:

• Abnormally dry: 1.3%

• Moderate drought: 4.3%

• Severe drought: 12.4%

• Extreme drought: 56.9%

• Exceptional drought: 25.0%

Total area in drought: 98.7%,impacting 17.9 million Florida residents.

Burn bans in effect in 50 Florida counties

Burn bans are in effect in 50 of Florida's 67 counties, as of May 6.

What is a burn ban?

The Florida Forest Service tries combines allcounty-enacted burn banson its website.

A burn ban typically prohibits the outside burning of yard trash and vegetation, as well as campfires, bonfires and burn barrels, but can vary by county.

➤Current Florida fire danger map

Burn bans are issued when there's a high risk for wildfires and include such conditions as:

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• prolonged drought

• low humidity

• high winds, or

• high Keetch-Byram Drought Index

What is the Keetch-Byram Drought Index?

TheFlorida Forest Serviceand U.S. Forest Service use theKeetch-Byram Drought Indexto measure the risk of wildfires based on soil moisture, how dry fuel is, and precipitation.

Thescale ranges from 0 to 800,with 0 indicating saturated soil and 800 representing extreme drought with a high potential for "intense, deep-burning fires."

Where are wildfires in Florida today?

According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services,between Jan. 1 and May 3in Florida:

• Acres burned: 120,515

• Number of wildfires: 1,980

Are any roads closed due to smoke?

According to theFlorida Highway Patrol, at 7 a.m. May 8, wildfires have been reported near these locations. See if they're affecting visibility:

• Putnam County: South State Road 19 at East Peniel Road near Palatka. Smoke in the area; use caution.

• Columbia County: I-75 northbound at mile marker 423 near Lake City. Use caution; possible smoke in the area.

• Alachua County: State Road 25 at Southwest 103th Avenue near Micanopy. Visibility reduced to 100 feet.

  • U.S. 301 at Southeast 122nd Lane near Hawthorne. Light smoke in area but no visibility issues reported as of 4:23 a.m.

• Lafayette County: North Fletcher Avenue at East Main Street near Mayo. No visibility issues as of 3:39 a.m.

• Volusia County: Wildfire reported at Tomoka Farms Road at State Road 415 near Port Orange. No reported issues.

• Hernando County: Commercial Way at Glen Lakes Boulevard near Brooksville. Smoke in the area; use caution.

See latest reports on air quality around Florida today

Air quality in Florida May 8 ranges from good to unhealth for sensitive groups.

➤Where is smoke in Jacksonville coming from?

The worst conditions are reported in Northeast Florida in Jacksonville.

Florida weather alerts issued by National Weather Service

Interactive map: Enter your address to find closest wildfire risks

Will it rain anytime soon in Florida? See the radar

How can you conserve water while it's dry in Florida?

Here are some suggestions from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida's water management districts on how you can save water both inside and outside your home:

• Install high-efficiency showerheads, faucets and toilets.

• Check faucets and pipes for leaks.

• Use your dishwasher and washing machine only for full loads.

• Use the shortest clothes washing cycle for lightly soiled loads.

• Minimize use of kitchen sink garbage disposal units.

• Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator or microwave, not under running water.

• Scrape, don’t rinse your dishes before loading in the dishwasher.

• Add mulch to reduce evaporation.

• Harvest rain to water flower beds, herb gardens and potted plants.

• Choose native plants adapted to the area and needing less water.

• Check hose and sprinkler connections for leaks.

• On slopes, plant native species that will retain water and help reduce runoff.

• Irrigate your lawn with reclaimed water.

  • To find out if reclaimed water is available in your neighborhood, contact your utility company.

• Do not water the lawn in rainy weather.

• Use a hose with a shut-off nozzle when washing the car.

Stay informed. Get weather alerts via text

What's next?

We will continue to update our weather coverage as conditions warrant. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And look for ourspecial subscription offers here.

Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, athttps://jacksonville.com/newsletters.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union:Florida wildfires and smoke map, locations, road closures, air quality

byAlpha World

in

May 08, 2026

Where are fires burning in Florida this morning? Affected roads

Recent rain may have helped some areas of Florida, but the drought continues and wildfires continue to burn. Visibility on some ro...

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Zack Polanski says no country has right to exist when asked about Israel

Green PartyleaderZack Polanskifaces fresh controversy after questioningIsrael’s right to exist as a nation.

Mr Polanski told ITV’sRobert Peston: “I don’t believe any country has a right to exist. People have a right to exist.”

He claimed “semantics about whether a country has a right to exist” was the root cause of the “mess” of the current Israel-Palestinian conflict.

The exchange followedMr Polanski’s poll ratings plummeted after he shared a postcriticising police officers’ treatment of a suspect accused of stabbing two Jewish men in Golders Green last week, and after he admitted falselyclaiming to have once been a “spokesman” for the British Red Cross.

He was challenged over his stance on Israel in an interview on ITV’sPestonin which he described Israel as a “genocidal apartheid state” over its war on Gaza.

Mr Peston asked him: “Israel has a right to exist? Yes or no?”

Mr Polanski replied: “I don’t believe any country has a right to exist. People have a right to exist. The Israelis have a right exist; the Palestinians have a right to exist.

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“I think it is our role as a third country to make sure there is fairness, transparency and accountability about a peace process (in the Gaza conflict).

“I always think these semantics about whether a country has a right to exist just ends up in gatekeeping, which is how we ended up in this mess in the first place with the Balfour Declaration.”

Mr Peston responded: “The implication of that is that Britain doesn’t have the right to exist, which also carries quite heavy connotations.”

Mr Polanski’s reference to theBalfour Declarationrelates to the statement in 1917 by British foreign secretary Lord Balfour, which promised a “national home” for the Jewish people.

It is seen as paving the way for the creation of Israel in 1948 and the removal of large numbers of Palestinians from their homes.

Mr Polanski’s reference to gatekeeping relates to the concept of “colonial gatekeeping”, whereby the fate and borders of post colonial states are dictated by its former colonial rulers.

The Balfour Declaration led to the so-called “British Mandate” in Palestine, established in 1923 by the League of Nations (the precursor to the UN) and which resulted in Jewish immigration overseen by the British authorities in the run-up to the creation of Israel after the Second World War.

The mandate has been criticised for sowing the seeds of the bitter ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

byAlpha World

in

May 07, 2026

Zack Polanski says no country has right to exist when asked about Israel

Green PartyleaderZack Polanskifaces fresh controversy after questioningIsrael’s right to exist as a nation. Mr Polanski told ITV’s...

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Iran update: Here's when Trump says gas prices will come 'crashing down'

As Americans continue topay more at the pump,PresidentDonald Trumpis doubling down the cost of fuel will drop quickly after the conflict with Iran comes to an end.

The cost of a gallon of gas is $4.558 as of Thursday, May 7 — about a 40-cent increase in a month and more than a dollar from a year ago.

A few days earlier, in a news conference on May 4, Trump said he expects the price of gasoline to drop "substantially" following the end of the Iran war, reported USA TODAY.

"I see it going down very substantially when this is over, I think very rapidly too, at levels that you've never seen because there's a lot of energy out there, ships all over the world that are loaded up with it," Trump said. "They can't do much with it because they got kidnapped by a pretty evil place. But we're taking care of it."

Earlier, on May 1, Trump said gas prices would "come crashing down as soon as this war is over."

In an interview with Fox News, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said gas prices would fall once the war in Iran came to a close.

“We are cognizant that this short-term blip up in prices is affecting the American people, but I am also confident, on the other side of this, prices are gonna come down very quickly,” Bessent toldFox News.

Iran war update today

Iranian officials are reviewing a U.S. framework for peace talks after Trump again threatened to resume airstrikes on the Middle Eastern country unless it agrees to a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, reported USA TODAY.

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"If they don't agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before," Trump said on social media on Wednesday. He has not described the American proposal.

"Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran," Trump wrote.

Oil prices today

U.S. crude oil plunged by as much as 15%, to $88 per barrel, and international Brent crude oil fell as much as 11%, to $96 per barrel on May 6, as reported by CNBC, though prices rose to about $95 a barrel by Thursday morning.

Are gas prices going to go down?

Trump said that once the war with Iran is over, prices at the pump will drop "substantially."

USA Today contributed to this story.

Natassia Paloma may be reached atnpaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on x; natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma Thompson on Facebook

More:'We've got to do better' congressional members demand at Camp East Montana

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times:Iran news today: Trump addresses gas prices as Iran reviews deal

byAlpha World

in

May 07, 2026

Iran update: Here's when Trump says gas prices will come 'crashing down'

As Americans continue topay more at the pump,PresidentDonald Trumpis doubling down the cost of fuel will drop quickly after the conflic...

Read More

Michael Conforto comes through in a pinch as streaking Cubs rally in 9th for 5-4 win over Reds

CHICAGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Michael Conforto capped a two-run ninth inning with a solo homer, and the Chicago Cubs rallied to beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Monday night for their sixth straight victory.

Reds Cubs Baseball

Seiya Suzuki hit a 455-foot home run for the NL Central leaders, who improved to 23-12 with their 16th win in 19 games. Chicago has won 12 in a row at home, the team’s best streak at Wrigley Field since a 14-game run in 2008.

The Reds took a 4-3 lead in the eighth when Spencer Steer lined an RBI single against Ben Brown, only to drop their fourth straight.

Pete Crow-Armstrong tripled leading off the ninth against Emilio Pagán (2-1) on a ball that popped out of center fielder Dane Myers’ glove as he tried to make a leaping catch against the wall. Crow-Armstrong scored one out later on Nico Hoerner’s sacrifice fly.

Conforto, batting for Matt Shaw, then drove a 3-2 pitch to center and was mobbed by happy teammates as he crossed home plate.

The teams waited out a delay of 1 hour, 40 minutes at the start because of a thunderstorm after the game was initially moved up a half hour.

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The Cubs trailed 3-0 in the fourth before Suzuki tied it with a three-run drive off Chase Petty, Chicago’s longest homer of the season.

Edward Cabrera went six innings, allowing three runs and nine hits. He gave up a homer to JJ Bleday leading off the third and a two-run drive to Ke’Bryan Hayes in the fourth.

Ryan Rolison (2-0) worked the ninth.

In his first major league start this season, Petty gave up three runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. The Reds recalled the right-hander from Triple-A Louisville prior to the game.

Up next

Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (2-1, 4.41 ERA) looks to win his second straight start, while LHP Andrew Abbott (1-2, 5.97) gets the ball for the Reds. Taillon tossed seven solid innings at San Diego last week.

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/MLB

byAlpha World

in

May 06, 2026

Michael Conforto comes through in a pinch as streaking Cubs rally in 9th for 5-4 win over Reds

CHICAGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Michael Conforto capped a two-run ninth inning with a solo homer, and the Chicago Cubs rallied to beat the ...

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In big upset, top-seeded UCLA men’s volleyball season ends

Their fortunes changed in a flash.

One moment, the UCLA men’s volleyball players were celebrating a trip to the Final Four.

The next, they were mourning the end of their season.

That’s how quickly the momentum shifted Saturday night after what appeared to be the winning point was wiped out by an official review during the Bruins’ NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against UC Irvine.

Given new life, the unseeded Anteaters went on to complete the comeback, knocking off top-seeded UCLA, 25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 19-25, 16-14, at Pauley Pavilion.

How big of an upset was this?

The Bruins (29-2) had lost just once previously this season, with their only other setback coming against Pepperdine a month ago.

“Being honest,” said UCLA senior outside hitter Zach Rama, his eyes reddened with sadness, “I don’t think it’s anything any of us expected just because of how confident we are and our ability to play together. I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet.”

Rama’s attack error on match point sparked a wild celebration for UC Irvine (20-8), which had trailed 8-4 in the fifth set and appeared momentarily beaten after an earlier match point had been awarded to the Bruins before being reversed.

Anteaters coach David Kniffin said he was confident the replay would given his team the critical point because he had heard a UCLA player touch the ball on the play.

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“But sound doesn’t carry on a challenge review system,” Kniffin said, “so you never know what the camera is going to pick up. But, for me, it wasn’t even if we got the touch or not, it was about sustaining belief.”

In the Bruins’ huddle, there was determination to not let the call beat them twice.

“We did talk about being able to move on even if the call was to be overturned,” senior setter Andrew Rowan said, “so do our best to bounce back from a call like that.”

This was already an unusual situation for the Bruins, who were forced to rally to force the fifth set. They had trailed 2-1 only three times previously this season, including a comeback victory over the Anteaters on Feb. 28 that they won in five sets.

After the reversal on match point pulled the Anteaters to within 14-13, an attack error on UCLA middle blocker Cameron Thorne tied the score.

The Bruins then unsuccessfully challenged a kill by UC Irvine’s Andreas Brinck, which gave the Anteaters match point. They capitalized on Rama’s attack error that sailed out of bounds.

As their fans roared in approval, the Anteaters’ reserves bounded onto the court and senior William D’Arcy pulled the front of his jersey over his head in celebration.

Meanwhile, the Bruins were left to contemplate a Final Four that will be held without them on their home court. UC Irvine will play fourth-seeded Ball State in one semifinal May 9 at Pauley Pavilion, and third-seeded Long Beach State will play second-seeded Hawaii in the other semifinal.

“I mean, it’s obviously tough,” Rowan said. “It’s the first time we haven’t been past this game in our collegiate career, so it’s tough. It hasn’t really set in yet.”

UCLA’s seniors had been part of two championships before finishing as runners-up last season. There would be no happy ending in their farewell season.

“I’m incredibly sad for them,” Bruins coach John Hawks said. “We had an incredible run, and I’m sorry to see it end.”

byAlpha World

in

May 05, 2026

In big upset, top-seeded UCLA men’s volleyball season ends

Their fortunes changed in a flash. One moment, the UCLA men’s volleyball players were celebrating a trip to the Final Four. The ...

Read More