Lightning played a major role in initiating fires over Florida during 1998. Although most of Florida had record rainfall during the previous winter, dry conditions during the Spring left those same areas vulnerably dry. Convection that developed during the late Spring and early Summer produced nearly stationary convection with considerable lightning.

Light lower level winds contributed to the nearly stationary character of the convection. This study shows relationships among mesoscale environmental parameters, rainfall, and lightning distribution during the fire outbreak.