Brush fires continue to ignite across Central Florida as dry heat continues
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - A brush fire started at 4 p.m. Sunday and residents told FOX 35 the flames grew rapidly.
The fire burned three acres before Volusia and Seminole County firefighters had contained it on Sunday.
Fire crews used brush trucks to put out the flames and plows to move the soil — creating a fire barrier to stop the burning.
Because it's so dry, brush fires are a big concern across Central Florida. This fire is one of several that the Seminole County Fire Department responded to this past weekend.
Video shows footage from a brush fire in Geneva that happened on Saturday.
With below-average rainfall for months and no signs of that changing soon, the concern continues to grow.
With no precipitation in the future, this is going to keep getting extreme fire behavior – each day -it's going to increase, said Dave Williams with the Seminole County Fire Department.
Fire officials warn residents, especially if they live in rural areas if they see or smell smoke, call 911 right away.
"The sooner we see it, the quicker we find it – the smaller It’s going to be especially in these rural areas where it takes a long time for units to get out here, said Williams. "Fire growth is quick, so the quicker you can get us here – the better it is for you."
Seminole County has extra staff on — including their wildland burn team — which has specialized equipment on duty to handle the expected brush fires. The county's burn ban is still in place.