The TERRA satellite captured the accompanying image of at least nine fires raging across Florida on Saturday, May 19.

Using the satellite's Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) the spacecraft acquired this true-color image of the Florida peninsula revealing a lot of smoke and haze blanketing most of the state. News sources believe that the number of fires could increase to as many as 15 through Monday, May 21. Florida has been parched by drought in recent months, and there is still no rain in the immediate forecast.

The red pixelated areas on the image show the locations of some of the larger fires and their resulting smoke plumes. The brightness in the water west of Florida is due to Sun glint.

The largest of the current fires is burning in Big Cypress National Preserve, located about 75 miles (120 kilometers) west of Miami. That fire has already consumed roughly 15,000 acres (6.070 hectares) and was only partially contained by firefighters at the time this image was taken.

As of Monday, May 21, Florida firefighters mopped up 44 blazes and monitored 138 wildfires from Pensacola to the Everglades.

Crews were getting the upper hand against some of the state's larger fires, pushing back flames behind ditches and fire lines, and rain is forecast for later in the week.

Visitors to Disney World, who over the weekend endured smoky skies from a nearby 1,300-acre (525-hectare) fire, got some relief as the smoke stayed away from the theme parks.

"Yesterday morning, we stayed inside because some of us have asthma," said Janice Muse, who was visiting the Magic Kingdom with 16 other relatives from Mobile, Alabama.

The fire, located about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the Disney theme parks, was about 70-percent contained.

Elsewhere around the state, a 25,000-acre (10,115 hectare) blaze burned in the Big Cypress National Preserve and a 6,140-acre (2,485-hectare) fire south of Interstate 75 and east of Golden Gate Estates kept fire crews busy.

A larger fire in Collier County over the weekend forced the temporary closure of I-75. That fire was 80-percent contained by Monday.

Since Jan. 1, Florida has had 2,702 fires with about 198,128 acres (80,180 hectares) burned. There is concern that those statistics will rise at the onset of the rainy season. Until the rains come full force, the potential for lightning strikes increases fire risks under such dry conditions.