Red Flag Days Ahead
The charred remains of a car and house from the Five Mile Swamp Fire near Pensacola, Florida, May 6, 2020. Courtesy, WEAR-TV
The unusually warm and dry spring is creating hazardous wildfire conditions across parts of Florida. Last week was especially bad in the Florida Panhandle where two separate fires destroyed dozens of homes over three days, threatened others, and closed a section of Interstate 10 east of Pensacola.
The larger of the two blazes started last Monday when a prescribed burn by a private contractor got out of control near the Santa Rosa County town of Avalon Beach, just east of Pensacola. Low humidity and gusty winds Tuesday and Wednesday quickly spread the fire on both sides of Interstate 10, forcing detours. The so-called Five Mile Swamp fire destroyed 14 homes and about 2,000 acres of land were charred. No one was injured.
One man and his landlord near the town of Milton escaped the flames by jumping in a pond. Although the house survived, a nearby barn was destroyed. Changing winds at one point threatened other neighborhoods as Florida Forest Service crews joined local fire departments in trying to keep the fire within containment lines all week.
A Santa Rosa Beach homeowner next to his destroyed home, May 8, 2020. Courtesy, WMBB-TV
About 45 minutes to the east, in the coastal town of Santa Rosa Beach, an illegal burn last Wednesday afternoon got out of control and quickly spread on both sides of Highway 98, the main thoroughfare for South Walton County’s beach communities. 500 people were evacuated from the area.
In all, nearly 40 homes and 575 acres of land were destroyed in the Mussett Bayou section of town. Some families had less than a minute to flee their homes before they were engulfed by the wind-driven flames. Fortunately, no one was injured. The fire was mostly contained by Friday evening. Charges are pending against a man authorities say started the fire by burning illegal materials and without a burn permit.
With no significant rainfall forecast this week in the northern half of Florida, the Forest Service says the risk of wildfires remains very high.
LMA Newsletter of 5-11-20
