Everglades Wildfires, June 2026: Captain Greg’s View From the Water

By Captain Greg Mislow, owner of Airboat Adventures Everglades · Published October 8, 2026

In June 2026, a series of wildfires burned more than 20,000 acres across South Florida, according to officials quoted by CBS Miami. I was running tours that weekend, and I told CBS Miami it was the biggest fire I'd ever seen this close to the city.

What I told CBS Miami

CBS Miami's Steve Maugeri interviewed me for a June 21, 2026 report as the smoke started to clear. The fires had turned an ordinary weekend of tours into something I won't forget. "This close to the city, it was the biggest one I've ever seen in my life," I told him. "There were times you had to cover your mouth because of it."

The smoke got especially bad that weekend. "The storm rolled in right at sunset, and the smoke was so thick you couldn't see my neighbor's house from where I was standing," I said. "It was crazy."

I also captured video of firefighters and Florida Forest Service crews working to hold the flames back.

CBS Miami segment, June 21, 2026. Read the full CBS Miami story.

Helicopters over the sawgrass

On the same day, we posted a short on our YouTube channel called A Burning Everglades, being saved by helicopters. It follows two helicopters stacked in the sky, making water drop after water drop as the smoke swallowed the horizon.

Smoke, ash and closed roads

The fires reached well beyond the marsh. Officials closed parts of Krome Avenue for a while, and traffic backed up badly. "I had one lady tell me it took her three hours to get around a spot that should have taken 15 minutes," I told CBS.

By Saturday the smoke had pushed farther inland, and some people found ash on their cars and property. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue asked anyone with breathing problems to limit time outdoors while the smoke hung around, and the Florida Department of Transportation warned that road conditions could change with fire activity and visibility.

Why the fires burned so hard

The fires came on the back of a long dry spell. I took CBS out on the dry marsh the same day, and I wrote about it in my post on the 2026 Everglades drought. On July 2, Everglades Foundation scientist Erik Stabenau told CBS Miami that the fires weren't unusually numerous, but where they started they burned "really, really deep" and "really, really fast." The Foundation explains the link between dry soil and deep-burning fire in this short piece.

Water flow matters here too. The National Park Service has written about how the old Tamiami Trail roadbed acted like a dam across the River of Grass, leaving land south of the road drier than it should be, with more wildfires and more exotic plants as a result. Bridging parts of the road has since let far more water through.

The people who fought it

From the water I watched crews working in heat and smoke that most people will never stand in. Every water drop and every line they held protected marsh, wildlife and the communities on the edge of the Glades. Those of us who live and work out here owe them a lot.

See the Everglades from an airboat

Our tours run outside Everglades National Park, on the Tamiami Trail side, so our captains can legally bring you closer to alligators, wading birds and other wildlife than park rules allow. Every tour is private, so the boat and the pace belong to your group. You ride with one of our USCG-licensed, CPR and first-aid certified local captains, a team I lead and captain with. If smoke, fire or a road closure affects your plans, call us and we'll give you an honest read on conditions for your date.

Daytime, sunrise, sunset and night tours can be booked online on our booking page, or call (305) 766-1929. Compare options on our tours and prices page. Kids 5 and under ride free, and you get a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before your tour.

Wildfire questions

How many acres did the June 2026 South Florida wildfires burn?

More than 20,000 acres combined, according to officials quoted by CBS Miami on June 21, 2026. Crews were still working to contain the fires at the time.

What did Captain Greg Mislow tell CBS Miami about the wildfires?

He said that this close to the city it was the biggest fire he had ever seen, that at times you had to cover your mouth because of the smoke, and that one guest told him a 15-minute drive took her three hours. He also filmed firefighters and Florida Forest Service crews at work.

Do wildfires stop Everglades airboat tours?

It depends on where a fire is and what officials close. During the June 2026 fires, sections of Krome Avenue were closed for a time. Call (305) 766-1929 before you travel and we will tell you how conditions look for your departure.