West Mims fire crews receive donations from evacuating communities

Thursday crews continued to battle the hot spots and flare ups of the West Mims fire.

“The dryness of the fuels here are really extreme for this area,” says Tom Stokesberry with US Forest Service.

Officials took Action News Jax inside the fire’s perimeter.

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On Thursday the fire was only 12% contained. It's burned more than 144,000 acres and was still burning.

Stokesberry tells Action News Jax, “These record high temperatures, these winds with gusts of 15 to 25 miles per hour really make for the potential for large fire growth.”

Crews have seen flames up to 150 feet while battling the fire.

St.George and Moniac are both under mandatory evacuation orders.

Neighbors are channeling their fears into feeding the 711 firefighters.

They’ve filled an entire gymnasium with donations, crews file in three times a day.

Pastor Matt Rouse explains, “Some of them aren’t able to come here at the meal times so we take the food out there to them.”

Cox Media Group