PALM BAY, Fla. – Authorities said four homes were damaged in a 45-acre brush fire in Palm Bay Wednesday afternoon.
The large fire was reported in the area of San Filippo and Cogan drives, which was completely contained by 7 p.m., according to the Florida Forest Service.
"It was very scary due to the fact that we had some major wildfires here in 2008, and those wildfires damaged numerous homes," said spokesman Cliff Frazier.
One of the homes that was damaged Wednesday belonged to Terry Shaw.
Shaw told News 6 his house marked a new chapter in his life when he purchased it in 2005.
"I was a single dad, retired from the Air Force, and my boys and I came here, and this was our house," Shaw said.
Overnight, fire crews planned to monitor the area for any flare-ups, which News 6 crews spotted in several vacant lots.
Some neighbors called fire crews reporting embers sitting high atop trees.
Others slept with the garden hoses ready to fight fire if a hot spot flared up next to their homes.
Most residents agreed, however, they dodged a fiery bullet.