Florida Panhandle Wildfires: Homes being destroyed, hundreds forced to evacuate
The Florida panhandle is being besieged by about 150 separate wildfires scorching over 12,000 acres throughout the Northwest section of the Sunshine State. At least 1,100 homes were placed under a mandatory evacuation as firefighters battle those blazes.
“It is incredibly dry throughout the state and typically we see this kind of activity in the months of April and May,” Zwierzchowski said. “Seeing it in early March really gives us an indication of what the fire season is going to be like.” ~ ABC News
Homes have burned down, others damaged, and hundreds of residents have been forced to leave their homes and evacuate a portion of Florida still rebuilding from 2018’s devastating Hurricane Michael. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has issued a State of Emergency for Bay County.
… DeSantis said that hundreds of thousands of acres of downed trees from the hurricane in 2018, together with low humidity and strong winds, created ‘the perfect storm’ for hazardous fire conditions in Bay County.  ~ The Daily Mail
Yesterday, the office of Nikki Fried, Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, reported that the Florida Forest Service (FFS) was fighting two large wildfires in the Panhandle as dry, windy weather persisted in the region and fire danger levels remained elevated. Officials deployed all available resources, including an additional four helicopters from the Florida National Guard, to contain the Bertha Swamp Road Fire and the Adkins Avenue Fire.
Currently, there are nearly 150 wildfires burning more than 12,100 acres throughout the state. ~ Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDAC)
Bertha Swamp Road Fire:
The 8,000-acre Bertha Swamp Road Fire is the largest of the wildfires, currently 10 percent contained, and has shown increased activity. Residents in the Bear Creek area were put under mandatory evacuation orders on Saturday as the fire pushed from its origin in Gulf County into Bay and Calhoun counties. The fire was driven by strong winds and is burning through thick, dead trees and vegetation left behind from Hurricane Michael. The Florida Forest Service has 17 tractor-plow units attacking the Bertha Swamp Road Fire.
Motorists and residents are encouraged to remain clear of the area and to follow updates from the Bay County Emergency Services on Facebook. Residents can register for emergency notifications at AlertBay.org.
Adkins Avenue Fire:
The Adkins Avenue Fire is holding at 1,400 acres and is 35 percent contained. Florida Forest Service helicopters have dropped more than 103,000 gallons of water on the fire since Friday. There are 25 tractor-plow units working to build fire lines around the blaze and prevent further spread. The heavy fuels have been fanned by high winds over the last 24 hours. High winds are expected to continue today with a forecast at 25 mph. All evacuation orders remain in place. There is no timeline for when residents will be allowed to return home.
Motorists and residents are encouraged to remain clear of the area and to follow updates from the Bay County Emergency Services on Facebook. Residents can register for emergency notifications at AlertBay.org.
Florida Forest Service wildland firefighters and resources from numerous fire and emergency service departments are working in unified command around the clock to help suppression efforts. Crews will continue to work to strengthen containment lines, protect homes and monitor the wildfires.
In 2018, Hurricane Michael left behind an additional threat to the Florida Panhandle – a wildfire threat. The Category 5 storm destroyed 2.8 million acres, or 72 million tons, of trees across 11 counties in the Florida Panhandle. These are some of the most forested counties in the state. Due to the exponential volume of broken, uprooted and blown over trees, dense pockets of vegetation remain on the ground and serve as fuel for wildfires.
It is important for residents to use extreme caution and remain aware of current wildfire activity.
- To view active wildfires, visit FDACS.gov/ActiveWildfirePoints.
- To learn how to prevent and prepare for a wildfire, visit BeWildfireReadyFL.com.
(Source: FDAC)
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
