JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The dry weather conditions are keeping a Westside neighborhood on high alert after a close call with a brush fire that could have been avoided.
The flames came dangerously close to homes behind Maple Avenue after someone burned trash in their back yard.
Crews worked all afternoon and into the night Saturday doing what they call "mopping up" which means they were wetting the ground to make sure the fire didn't flare back up.
Steven Nicks, who grew up in the neighborhood, says he's thankful he still has a home to go back to. "I praise the Lord for that one. I'm glad for it to be there still," said Steven Nicks, resident.
According to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, embers from a trash fire set off the five acre blaze. The people involved in the trash burning were served with a notice of violation.
The Division of Forestry is urging everyone to be aware of the dangers, especially during dry conditions. "If the weather man says it's fire danger believe him," Mark Kneely, Division of Forestry.
Nicks says he's just glad firefighters were able to control the flames before the situation turned tragic. "You could've lost some houses, even lives around here. Other than that, everybody is fine and it was just something that shouldn't have been done," said Nicks.
Duval County has a standing burn ban. Residents must apply for a special permit in order to burn anything in their yards.
