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Possible lightning strike sparks blaze in Hernando County sledge pond: HCFR

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Published  July 30, 2025 12:37pm EDT
Hernando County
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • Firefighters say a possible lightning strike sparked a fire on a sledge pond at the Cemex plant in Brooksville.
    • The fire was about 100 acres, according to Hernando County Fire Rescue.
    • The fire was extinguished as of 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, but a drone unit was deployed to assess any potential hazards, and the Florida Forest Service was called in to assist and continue monitoring the situation.

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - A sledge pond in Hernando County caught fire shortly after midnight on Wednesday after firefighters said it was possibly struck by a bolt of lightning. 

The backstory:

According to Hernando County Fire Rescue, the fire happened in a large sledge pond at the Cemex plant in Brooksville. 

Courtesy: Hernando County Fire Rescue

Firefighters reported that the fire was approximately 100 acres in size. 

No injuries have been reported.

What's next:

As of 10:30 a.m., the fire was extinguished, but a drone unit was launched to assess any potential hazards, and the Florida Forest Service was called in to assist and continue monitoring the situation.

The Source: This story was written with information provided by Hernando County Fire Rescue. 

Hernando CountyFire