World Report: April 30, 1999 Vol.4 No.25
- This Issue:
- Table of Contents
- Cover Story
- Cover Story - Spanish Version
- Mini-Lesson
- Comprehension Quiz
- Teacher's Guide and Worksheets
Everglades In Flame
Day after day, scorching flames flared in Florida's Everglades. Black clouds of smoke forced authorities to shut down Interstate 75. For two weeks straight, the wildfire raged on, destroying more than 130,000 acres of sawgrass and brush.
Aided by swirling winds and a lack of rain, the fire became the largest of at least 2,568 fires that have burned in Florida this year.
Wildfires are part of the natural cycle in the Everglades--a swampy grassland that's home to egrets, bats and alligators. Fires help burn away dry brush.
Despite the tremendous size of the fire, experts expect no permanent damage. "The ecosystem is going to be fine," says ecologist Tom Fontaine. "It will come back very much like it was before."
