Brush fire in Palm Bayโs โCompoundโ was accidental, caused by rocketry enthusiasts, officials say
Fire crews in Palm Bay battled a 40-acre brush fire in the cityโs โCompoundโ area on Saturday, with Palm Bay Fire Rescue later confirming the fire was accidental and had been caused by an explosion during testing by rocket enthusiasts.
1,100 homes evacuated as firefighters battle Florida fires
Officials say vetFirefighters continued to battle the 12,000-acre (about 4,860-hectare) Bertha Swamp Road fire and the 841-acre (340-hectare) Adkins Avenue fire, which have threatened homes and forced residents of at least 1,100 houses in Bay County, Florida. erans forced to evacuate a nursing home by a Florida Panhandle wildfire have been allowed to return home.
28 things you probably forgot happened in the whirlwind that 2020 has been
So letโs take a look at all of the wild things that happened so far this year that you probably already forgot about, shall we? (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)Jan. 3: Iranian general Qasem Soleimani was killed in a drone strike by the U.S. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)Feb. 5: After months of investigations, hearings and lots of tweets from Trump, the president was acquitted by the Senate on both articles of impeachment. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)And now weโre in June. Itโs hard to believe that all of those things happened during a pandemic, so who knows what else is next?
Wildfires rage in Florida Panhandle; 500 evacuated
The 2,000-acre (809-hectare) fire in Santa Rosa County, located just east of Pensacola, prompted the evacuation of 1,100 homes Wednesday. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said in a news conference Thursday afternoon that fire officials are working around the clock to contain the wildfires. Rich Aloy, with the Santa Rosa County Sheriffโs Office, was patrolling Wednesday when he and other deputies rescued an older couple trapped by a burning power line. The Santa Rosa County fire began Monday when a prescribed burn by a private contractor got out of control, Fried said. In neighboring Walton County, a 575-acre (233-hectare) fire in Walton County prompted about 500 people to evacuate.
Drone video shows Osceola firefighters battling 20-acre brush fire
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. โ High-definition drone video showcases the view from above as Osceola County firefighters battled a 20-acre brush fire Friday afternoon. CloudThe fire was contained by 7 p.m. without any injuries or damage to homes. Osceola County Fire Rescue & EMS, the Kissimmee Fire Department and the State Division of Forestry all helped to extinguish the flames. The aerial footage, provided by Osceola County Fire Rescue & EMS, shows crews dumping water from a later truck, the blaze engulfing surrounding trees and infrared imagery showing just how hot the fire became. Watch the video in the media player at the top of this story.
I-4 reopens in Volusia County after wildfire shut down interstate
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. โ A wildfire in Volusia County caused officials to shut down all lanes of I-4 near mile marker 123 on Saturday. WILDFIRE ALERT: @FLForestService is responding to a 180-acre wildfire in Volusia County. The Florida Forest Service deployed five dozer plow units, three overhead units, and a helicopter to battle the blaze, officials said. Personnel with Volusia County Fire Rescue and the Seminole County Fire Department also responded to the fire. We thank our brave Forest Service firefighters for working swiftly to control this wildfire.โ
Suspicious fires prompt State Fire Marshall investigation
The fire was located south of Fortune Road and east of Floridaโs Turnpike, officials said. When crews arrived on scene, they found a vehicle and empty farm structure on fire but were able to quickly knock it down, according to officials. While containing the fire, fire crews noticed a new column of smoke coming from another location on the same property. โA separate structure and the wooded area surrounding it were engulfed in flames,โ officials said. โDue to the questionable nature of the fires, we have requested that the State Fire Marshall investigate,โ officials said.
Brush fire threatens homes in Osceola County
CLOUD, Fla. โ Firefighters are working to put out a brush fire Friday evening in St. Cloud thatโs threatening nearby homes. Crews from Orange and Osceola counties are using tanker trucks to try and put out the fire in the 4100 block of Cardinal Lane. Osceola Fire Rescue said the cause was burning debris that caught a mobile home on fire. People who live on the street were kept from their homes tonight until crews finished putting out the fires.