BAKER COUNTY, Fla. – A brush fire in Baker County overnight is causing some lane closures on I-10 and a smoke advisory on I-10 and US 90, Florida Forestry officials said.
The right hand lane of I-10 westbound between Glen St. Mary and Sanderson will be closed as crews work the fire.
All drivers along I-10 in Baker County are urged to use caution as visibility is severely affected by the smoke Thursday morning.
FHP also said drivers on U.S. 90 in Sanderson are also being affected by smoke in the area.
As of Wednesday night, a wildfire that threatened homes and forced evacuations in Baker County was mostly contained after burning more than 120 acres.
The fire started around 1:17 p.m. when a semi-truck lost a tire on I-10 near mile marker 330, according to Baker County Fire Chief Trevor Nelson. Sparks from the truck’s rim ignited brush along the highway.
Florida Forest Service said Thursday morning’s brush fire is related to the fire sparked by the blown tire.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 100+ acre brush fire sparked in Baker County; residents who evacuated can return home by 7 p.m., officials say
“The dryness is very big part of what happened here today plus the wind that we had,” Nelson said. “We had it between an 18 and 20 mph wind when this fire started.”
This situation is concerning because it’s very similar to what we saw just yesterday in Putnam County, where smoke became so thick that visibility dropped to zero in some areas, forcing road closures and school disruptions.
Those Putnam County schools have since reopened and, as of Thursday morning, it’s business as usual in Interlachen.
In Baker County, Wednesday’s blaze grew to more than 120 acres, prompting mandatory evacuations along Noah Davis and Butcher roads. Residents were allowed to return home by Wednesday evening, with no reports of significant damage to any homes.
Multiple agencies responded to battle the flames, including:
- 40-50 firefighters from Baker County Fire Rescue, Macclenny Fire Department and Jacksonville Fire Rescue
- 13 tractor plows from Suwannee and Jacksonville divisions of the Florida Forest Service
- A helicopter carrying 275 gallons of water
- Additional aircraft for aerial monitoring
Nelson warned on Wednesday that the danger wasn’t over. Much of northeast Florida faces severe drought conditions, with a rainfall deficit of about 10 inches.
“Well, first we got to pray for rain,” Nelson said. “That’s the biggest thing we need is going to help. We need that long, sustaining rain that will soak in for several days.”
The Florida Highway Patrol said it continues to monitor the area. Drivers are urged to:
- Use low beam headlights in smoky conditions
- Watch for emergency vehicles and heavy equipment
- Be alert for remaining hot spots
- Pay attention to smoke warning signs
At the time crews responded to the Baker County fire, the Florida Forest Service said it was already working about half a dozen other fires in the Jacksonville area.
In Flagler County, an evacuation order was lifted at 12:25 a.m. Thursday after an active brush fire shut down Old Dixie Highway from I-95 to U.S. 1. Homes on both sides of Old Dixie Highway were evacuated.