1,000 ordered to flee Florida brush fire; Interstate 95 clos

[SouthFloridawx]

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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.







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[O Town]

Yea its getting a little crazy. Governor Bush has called a state of emergency and called in the Florida National Guard to help fight wildfires that have scorched thousands of acres. One burned yesterday right near Sea World. They are popping up everywhere. We are getting some rain this morning....FINALLY, so hoping this gives some sort of relief to the fires. http://www.wftv.com/news/9179288/detail.html

http://www.wftv.com/news/9173464/detail.html

[Cookiely]

AMEN to the rain this morning. Thank you GOD.

[HurricaneGirl]

Hurray for the rain!!!

[GrimReaper]

Yea, HurricaneGirl, we got the rain too, just below you in St. Augustine!! I think this year will be a bad one for fires, but not a bad as '98.
I have a new way to predict the possibility of rain.... and so far it has been 100% correct.....

If I drag my pastures, as I have been doing every other day for the past few weeks it NEVER rains.

If I don't drag ( I forgot this weekend), then it rains!! Like that nice storm last night!!!

Good Luck fellow Floridians... first we fry, then we fly!!!

[Janice]

Well, with cane season just starting along with the long hot summer, we will start seeing lots of forest and other fires, etc. Not a lot of fun stuff in nature to look forward to. I just hope we all can get at least a normal amount of rain through the summer.

[MiamiensisWx]

It's great that some slow relief is on the way for me, too. The plants will get some moisture at last over time!