1,000 ordered to flee Florida brush fire; Interstate 95 clos
Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 9:25 pm
1,000 ordered to flee Florida brush fire; Interstate 95 closed in Volusia County
Updated 5/8/2006 5:39 PM ET
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Firefighters battled blazes in Volusia and Brevard counties Monday, which forced about 1,000 people to evacuate their homes and the closure of a 12-mile stretch of Interstate 95.
"There are still fires burning in the median, so we haven't been able to reopen it," Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Kim Miller said.
Authorities said low visibility contributed to a five-vehicle collision that killed two people in Brevard County early Sunday.
More than 150 firefighters are working to contain the fires that have scorched more than eight-thousand acres, destroyed one home and severely damaged two others. More than 900 homes were evacuated in Volusia County.
Video: Brush fires close Florida interstate
Most residents were allowed to return home Monday afternoon. About 20 homes were still threatened by the Volusia blaze, which has burned about 1,200 acres, authorities said.
A brush fire in Hillsborough County forced the Florida Highway Patrol to shut down more than four miles of Interstate 75 south of Tampa Monday afternoon. No homes were threatened, officials said, but the fire was burning close to the highway and heavy smoke hindered visibility.
Officials advised motorists to find alternate routes around the fires.
More than 2,200 wildfires have burned over 44,000 acres in Florida since Jan. 1, according to the state Division of Forestry. Officials are tracking about 50 active wildfires the water-parched state.
"The state as a whole is just extremely dry right now," said Jim Brenner, fire management administrator for the state Division of Forestry. "These fires are consuming everything. And it's not over by any stretch of the imagination."
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Find this article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/20 ... fire_x.htm
Updated 5/8/2006 5:39 PM ET
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Firefighters battled blazes in Volusia and Brevard counties Monday, which forced about 1,000 people to evacuate their homes and the closure of a 12-mile stretch of Interstate 95.
"There are still fires burning in the median, so we haven't been able to reopen it," Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Kim Miller said.
Authorities said low visibility contributed to a five-vehicle collision that killed two people in Brevard County early Sunday.
More than 150 firefighters are working to contain the fires that have scorched more than eight-thousand acres, destroyed one home and severely damaged two others. More than 900 homes were evacuated in Volusia County.
Video: Brush fires close Florida interstate
Most residents were allowed to return home Monday afternoon. About 20 homes were still threatened by the Volusia blaze, which has burned about 1,200 acres, authorities said.
A brush fire in Hillsborough County forced the Florida Highway Patrol to shut down more than four miles of Interstate 75 south of Tampa Monday afternoon. No homes were threatened, officials said, but the fire was burning close to the highway and heavy smoke hindered visibility.
Officials advised motorists to find alternate routes around the fires.
More than 2,200 wildfires have burned over 44,000 acres in Florida since Jan. 1, according to the state Division of Forestry. Officials are tracking about 50 active wildfires the water-parched state.
"The state as a whole is just extremely dry right now," said Jim Brenner, fire management administrator for the state Division of Forestry. "These fires are consuming everything. And it's not over by any stretch of the imagination."
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Find this article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/20 ... fire_x.htm
