A wildfire in northwestern Florida has prompted officials to declare a local state of emergency and institute mandatory evacuation orders, officials said Friday. The blaze as of Saturday morning had grown to 1,400 acres and was 30% contained.
Six hundred homes have been evacuated, with two confirmed destroyed and 12 damaged, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. More evacuation orders were issued Saturday afternoon as the fire continued to spread, the Bay County Sheriff's Office said. It wasn't immediately clear how many additional homes were impacted.
Multiple agencies in Bay County and neighboring counties are responding to the fire. More than a dozen tractor plow units are on the ground, multiple helicopters are assisting from the air and more than 200 firefighters are battling the blaze, the Florida Forest Service said.
Those in areas from Transmitter Road to Star Avenue between Highway 231 and Highway 98 are under mandatory evacuations. An emergency shelter has been established for those asked to evacuate at Hiland Park Baptist Church, according to the Bay County Sheriff's Office.
The Florida Forest Service said the fire is burning in the area where Hurricane Michael felled 72 million tons of trees, which "serve as fuel for wildfires." The service warned of an elevated statewide fire danger level coupled with "critically low humidity" for the weekend.
"Wildfires can have a traumatic effect on communities," it said on Twitter. "Unlike hurricanes, there is little to no warning. Don't wait for wildfire."
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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March 06, 2022 at 01:48AM
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Florida wildfire prompts at least 600 evacuations and a local state of emergency - CBS News
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