PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — A large brush fire burning off Keuka Road prompted evacuations and road closures as heavy smoke created dangerous conditions across parts of Putnam County.
Officials say evacuations were ordered from Munich Avenue to Madrid Avenue and Brussells Avenue. Roads were closed from Madrid Avenue and Keuka Road south past Lake Como Circle.
At times, smoke reduced visibility to zero, and authorities warned conditions could change quickly due to shifting winds.
Residents living nearby said the fire was frighteningly close.
“It’s very scary and it’s close to home,” Cacahita Mullins, the manager of the Lil Hill Top Trailer Park and RV Park, said.
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According to the Florida Forest Service, the fire has already grown significantly and is expected to continue spreading.
“This fire has now grown to approximately about 200 acres. We do expect the acreage to increase and the reason for that is there are still structures that are immediately in danger from this fire and so the idea of a burnout operation is to eliminate fuels between where the fire is, and those structures are,” Ludie Bond, public information officer for the Florida Forest Service, said.
Crews have brought in resources to try to contain the fire and protect nearby homes.
“So here today, the Florida Forest Service had two helicopters dropping water continuously,” Bond said.
Bond also said many of the wildfires the Florida Forrest Service responds to are caused by humans, most of them unintentionally.
The cause of this fire has not yet been determined.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office assisted with evacuations in the area. Officials estimate about 20 homes were evacuated.
Around 8:30 pm Saturday residents were allowed to return back home.
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At the Lil Hill Top Trailer Park and RV Park, residents were initially told they might need to leave.
“They was talking about evacuating the trailer park at one time and then they went ahead and said we was in the clear,” Mullins said.
Not everyone in the area chose to evacuate. One local resident said a friend who lives near the fire decided to stay behind.
“A good ol’ Florida man and I called him. He said I ain’t going nowhere man I got my beer and my water hose. I ain’t going nowhere so if he stays, I know what I’m saying,” Dan Soncrant said.
Fire crews said they are working diligently to bring the fire under control.
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