Is there a fire in Panama City? Smoke in Southport and Lynn Haven explained

The smoke is coming from a 472-acre prescribed burn in the Breakfast Point area, according to the Panhandle Weather Facebook page.

Residents in Panama City, Southport, and Lynn Haven, Florida, reported seeing smoke Thursday afternoon, causing some concern that a fire might be burning nearby.

Is there a fire in Panama City? (UnSplash)

What is the smoke? Is there a fire?

The smoke is coming from a 472-acre prescribed burn in the Breakfast Point area, according to the Panhandle Weather Facebook page.

Winds are blowing from the southwest toward the northeast, carrying the smoke over Panama City and toward Southport and Lynn Haven. Officials say there is no concern about the fire spreading.

According to the page, the smoke is also creating a noticeable weather phenomenon. A pyrocumulus cloud has formed above the burn. It may look like smoke, but it is actually a cloud created when the intense heat from the fire causes warm air to rise, cool and condense.