Shelley Szafraniec, Volusia County Fire Services
DELAND -- Firefighting crews from the Division of Forestry (DOF) and Volusia County Fire Services continue to work daily on two brush fires - the Indian Lake and Woody Tract fires, says agency spokeswoman Shelley Szafraniec, who added, there is no threat to homes or structures from these fires.
Indian Lake Fire update: Due to strong afternoon high winds Wednesday, there were numerous spotovers at the Indian Lake fire. (Spotovers occur when the wind picks up burning embers inside the fire lines and carries them to areas outside of the fire lines. Once outside, the fire has the ability to travel into a new area that has not burned.) Several spotovers at the Indian Lake fire made a significant run toward the north due to strong winds from the south today. The fire remains in the Tiger Bay State Forest but burned onto Plum Creek Timber Company property Wednesday. The fire is estimated at more than 1,000 acres.
Fire crews are working Wednesday evening and plan to return Thursday to continue plowing lines around the fire and mopping up areas that already
have burned.
Today, the Division of Forestry will have a task force working at the fire, consisting of two medium dozers, two heavy-duty dozers and two brush trucks. DOF also will have two strike teams - one with four medium dozers and one with four brush trucks. The Division of Forestry will have an incident management team to assist with coordination efforts.
The St. Johns Water Management District will have two brush trucks, a dozer and a tender (water carrier) to assist with the Indian Lake fire Thursday. Today, Plum Creek Timber Company also will have three dozers and a water tender available. Volusia County Fires Services will have two brush attack trucks, a tender and members of the Fire Walker team on scene. Fire Walkers represent a specialized team of career and volunteer personnel who have advanced training in fire behavior, strategy and tactics, incident management system positions and safety specific to wildland fires.
Smoke Caution: Motorists are advised to use caution on I-4 and U.S. 92 between Daytona Beach and DeLand as they may encounter smoky conditions, especially at night and in the early morning. Also, with the winds pushing the smoke north, motorists traveling on S.R. 40 and S.R. 11 may encounter smoky conditions. The Florida Highway Patrol has placed warning signs on the roads.
Woody Tract Fire: The Woody Tract fire remains at approximately 1,100 acres near I-4's New Smyrna Beach and DeLand exits. Fire officials are monitoring the area for fire activity.
Fire Safety Reminder:
Due to the dry conditions in Volusia County, citizens and visitors are reminded to practice fire safety at all times. Residents should take
action around their homes and businesses to make them more defensible in the event that a brush fire threatens. “Fire Wise” actions are critical: clearing at least a 30-foot defensible space around structures, cleaning out gutters, using extreme caution when operating powered equipment and properly extinguishing all smoking materials. For tips on protecting homes and property this brush fire season, visit www.fl-dof.com.
Volusia County brush fire updates can be found at www.volusia.org/pin, the Web site of the Volusia/Flagler Public Information Network.