With brush fires scorching thousands of acres in Collier and Lee counties this month, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam met with local fire officials Wednesday to laud them for their efforts and tour some of the affected areas.
“This is a very active fire season that we’re engaged in,” Putnam, a Republican candidate for governor, said during a news conference at the Florida Forest Service command post off Sabal Palm Road. “We are engaged in a full-court press.”
A large brush fire off Sabal Palm Road, called the Greenway Fire, sparked last week and has scorched 16,876 acres as of Wednesday morning. Officials have said a lightning strike caused the fire.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam speaks with the media about the Collier County wildfires and response efforts at the Florida Forest Service Incident Command Post in Naples on Wednesday, March 28, 2018.
The blaze — which started March 21 about 4 miles east of Collier Boulevard and 1 mile north of U.S. 41 East — was 50 percent contained as of Wednesday morning, fire officials said.
Another brush fire, called the Flag Pond Fire, burned 2,758 acres south of Alligator Alley in Picayune Strand State Forest and was 100 percent contained. It was also sparked by lightning.
Statewide, so far, wildfires have scorched some 57,000 acres, Putnam said. He noted that a 20-acre brush fire in Lee County Tuesday destroyed a home, threatened another and torched three vehicles. Officials have said a downed power line sparked that blaze.
“So the acreage is not necessarily indicative of the property damage and the threat to human life that can come into play here,” Putnam said.
Last year, Collier saw two major fires — one in early March and another in late April — torching more than 14,000 acres, destroying eight homes and forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate. One person was injured in the April blaze.
Putnam said last spring’s brush fires have created somewhat of a buffer for the current blazes, “because there’s less material on the ground.”
Florida Forest Service crews, including bulldozers, were patrolling the Greenway Fire’s western front Wednesday, said Mike Weston, center manager for the Caloosahatchee Forestry Center.
“Any heat that they find, they’ll push open or push back into the black or the burned area,” he said.
Water resources, including soft-track vehicles with 600-gallon tanks, will conduct mop-up operations in harder to reach areas, Weston said.
“Fortunately with the winds, we’re just doing some occasional patrols on the eastern side of our fire,” he said. “Because it’s pushing everything back into areas that are already burned.”
Weather conditions Wednesday were expected to be similar to Tuesday’s with winds coming from the east and then the southeast by Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
“We kind of expect a repeat performance from yesterday as far as the weather goes,” said Greater Naples Fire Rescue District Chief Kingman Schuldt.
Wednesday’s winds were forecast to be between 10 and 15 mph with 20 to 25 mph gusts possible, according to a Greater Naples Fire news release.
Humidity was expected to increase Wednesday, which would help firefighting efforts, Schuldt said. Fire activity usually picks up in the afternoon, he said.
Schuldt said the “witching hour” for firefighters is typically between 2 and 4 p.m. In the afternoon a seabreeze from the Gulf kicks in and collides with other winds, he said.
“And then the winds start going crazy for a little bit,” Schuldt said.
The biggest concern for crews, he said, was any potential westward movement from the fire toward VeronaWalk and Winding Cypress communities or areas near U.S. 41 East. Schuldt said he has been in touch with those communities on a daily basis.
Winds pushed the Greenway Fire into a Miccosukee Indian village on U.S. 41 East, near San Marco Road, on Tuesday. Firefighters fended off flames that got as close as 20 feet from homes. The village has about a half-dozen homes, officials said.
More: Wind blows Greenway Fire near U.S. 41 and homes southeast of Naples
Putnam on Wednesday visited a number of homes that were threatened by the Flag Pond Fire last week. Officials say they were able to save at least 13 structures from the blaze during their firefighting efforts as 30- to 40-foot flames threatened residences.
The Greenway Fire destroyed one recreational vehicle over the weekend and lightly damaged another home. Schuldt said Greater Naples Fire was working to raise money for the man who lost his trailer in the blaze.
Putnam said potential rainstorms this weekend could provide some relief, but could also lead to more lightning strikes.
He urged residents to remain vigilant Wednesday and asked homeowners to create a “defensible space” around their residences and comply with burning regulations and laws.
“Clean out your gutters, take a blower and get those pine needles off of your roof,” Putnam said. “Buy sprinklers and hoses so that you have the ability to create some moisture around your home. Be aware of the direction of the winds.”
More: Photos: Gov. Scott meets with fire officials in Collier
More: Photos: Brush fire smoke closes part of U.S. 41 East
More: Your photos: Collier brush fires - March 201
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