DELAND -- Members of the Florida Division of Forestry Interagency Incident Management Blue team have established an incident command post at the Little Big Econ State Forest office, 1350 Snowhill Road, Geneva, to manage the multiple brushfires in parts of Brevard, Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties.
More than 100 personnel locally and from throughout the state are working together to contain seven large brush fires and numerous small
ones in the Central Florida area. At this time none of these fires are threatening any homes or structures.
Volusia County:
● Canal fire: Began April 26 at the Volusia and Brevard county line just west of I-95. The fire began in Volusia County and moved south into Brevard County. The fire is approximately 277 acres.
● Dragonfly fire: The fire began May 10 and is approximately 4,500 acres. The fire is to the north and east of the Lake Harney Woods subdivision.
● Stone Island fire: The fire began May 12 and is approximately a half-mile west of the 4,500 acre fire. The fire is approximately 150 acres.
Brevard County:
● Canal fire: Began April 26 at the Volusia and Brevard county line just west of I-95. The fire began in Volusia County and moved south into Brevard County. The fire is approximately 277 acres.
Orange County:
● Belly fire: The fire is east of S.R. 520 and north of the Beachline. The fire is approximately 400 acres.
● Harley fire: The fire is just north of the Beachline and approximately 1,200 acres.
● International fire: The fire is east of S.R. 520 and north of the Beachline. The fire is approximately 1,000 acres.
● Quest fire: The fire is just east of the Harley fire and approximately 185 acres.
The Florida Division of Forestry has multiple resources on the ground working hard to contain these fires. In addition, they have helicopters doing reconnaissance for the fires. Working in tandem are public safety personnel from several local agencies to include Brevard County Fire Rescue, Flagler County Fire Rescue, Orange County Fire Rescue, Seminole County Fire Rescue, Volusia County Fire Services, support agencies from Volusia County Government, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Commission, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Miami Corp. and the St. Johns Water Management District.
These fires are a good reminder of the dry conditions throughout the area. Even though there have been spotty afternoon showers, citizens should remain vigilant. Any outdoor fire is dangerous. Citizens are encouraged to be FireWise individually and on their properties. More information about FireWise can be found online www.fl-dof.com.
Due to the multiple fires, even after containment they will still continue to smolder and burn (within the containment lines). Citizens should not be alarmed if they see smoke and only call 911 if they see flames, fire officials said.