Courtesy photo. A stretch of U.S. was closed for an hour this afternnon so firefighters could put out a brush fire just north of the police station.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A brush fire this afternoon consumed 1.5 acres on the east side of U.S. 1 just north of the New Smyrna Beach Police Department and forced a stretch of the roadway closed while firefighters battled the blaze.
Nine firefighters arrived on at 3:23 p.m., less than four minutes after being dispatched, with three trucks to a brush fire of unknown origin.
As started to extinguish fire, firefighters noticed another fire starting to the north of their position with wind blowing in a southeasterly direction fanning flames toward canal and marsh area.
Firefighters called for an additional engine and used two hand lines and two large fire streams off apparatus to extinguish fire, Fire Department Lt. Randy Wright said.
The northbound lane of U.S. 1 was shut down for about an hour due to fire units working in that area, with traffic detoured onto Turnbull Bay Drive. Wright said the cause of the fire was unknown. It was extinguished 4:49 p.m.