Highlands County brush fire burns 175 acres, prompts evacuations: Officials
LAKE PLACID, Fla. - A large brush fire in Highlands County quickly burned more than 175 acres in the northwest area of Leisure Lakes in Highlands County, fire crews said.
What we know:
Highlands County Fire Rescue said the brush fire sparked near Durrance Road and Bluebird Avenue in Lake Placid and moved quickly due to winds and dry conditions. A burn ban was in place for Highlands County when the fire started.
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Multiple HCFR and Florida Forest Service units responded to contain the fire and keep flames away from homes.
"It grew and grew quickly, so we devoted a lot of resources to this," said David Grubich, a public information officer with the Florida Forest Service. "We had eight bulldozers on it, three engines, three brush trucks, three supervisors. Our helicopter was dropping water along with our fixed wing asset."
Dig deeper:
Firefighters said the brush fire prompted evacuations west to Henscratch Road and south to Miller Avenue. At the brush fire's peak, 142 structures were threatened.
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After sunset, weather conditions did improve, helping firefighters contain the large brush fire. The blaze is now 100% contained, but firefighters will remain at the scene all night long to monitor for any hot spots.
FFS officials said no one was injured, and no homes were damaged during the brush fire. However, two sheds and a vehicle were badly burned. Evacuation orders for the area have since been lifted.
Local perspective:
Zarella Hazel, a resident who had to evacuate due to the fire, said she first spotted the large plumes of smoke at around 2 p.m. Not long after that, she got an emergency alert ordering her to evacuate as firefighters raced to respond.
"It was very scary, I was looking through my window and saw it right in front of my house," Hazel said.
The Source: The information in this story was released by Highlands County Fire Rescue. It also includes information and statements made by the Florida Forest Service and a local resident who had to evacuate.