The Railroad Fire in northern Putnam County, north of Bostwick and east of US 17, is prompting voluntary evacuation orders from Putnam County Emergency Management.
The fire, which was about 1,000 acres and only 5% contained as of Monday afternoon, is one of two fast-moving brush fires burning near the Clay–Putnam County line.
The larger Crews Road Fire in southern Clay County has burned up to 2,000 acres and is now 5% contained.
Putnam County officials said that units are in the area of Guthrie Road and Hunter Road in Bostwick near the Clay County Line.
“If you live in this area, please evacuate as soon as possible to the Bostwick Community Center, 125 Tillman St., Palatka,” officials said.
The Sheriff’s Office posted that as of 4:45 p.m. the unstable nature of the brush fire had prompted voluntary evacuations for Guthrie Road, Boogerville Road, Hunter Road and White Tail Trail.
“Deputies and Fire-Rescue personnel have gone door-to-door to alert residents,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Earlier Monday morning, Florida Forestry Service spokesperson Dr. Ludie Bond said the fires are growing into a single large fire burning more than 3,000 acres, threatening structures and forcing voluntary evacuations.
WATCH: Full interview with Bond on The Morning Show
Just after 4 p.m. Monday, Clay County Fire Rescue announced that the Sheriff’s Office was shutting down U.S. 17 at the Clay-Putnam County line because of visibility concerns.
“Motorists will be turned around and asked to seek alternate routes into and out of Putnam County,” CCFR wrote in a Facebook post.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the wildfire near US 17 and County Road 214 could affect travel in that area and along Palmetto Bluff Road throughout the day, night and into Tuesday morning.
Drivers are urged to use caution, reduce speed and use only low beam headlights because visibility could deteriorate quickly.
Clay County has opened a call center for anyone with questions related to the Crews Road Fire. Call 877-252-9362. Please continue to use 911 for any emergencies.
Amtrak delays
Clay County officials say sparks from a train likely started the fire near County Road 209 and Maranda Drive.
“Amtrak has suspended all of their activity along the railroad track until these fires are brought under control,” Bond said in an interview on The Morning Show.
Amtrak’s alert feed on X.com shows that significant fire department activity north of Palatka has temporarily halted all rail services because local municipal officials have closed the tracks to battle a major fire ahead on the route.
“We sincerely apologize for this delay and appreciate your patience and understanding as this action is being taken for the safety of everyone involved,” Amtrak wrote.
Merging fires?
Officials say no homes have been damaged, but dry, windy conditions are making this a difficult fight, and firefighters might need to shut down Decoy Road later today.
Bond said the part of the danger is that the fires are not only happening in heavily wooded, remote areas, but are also in people’s backyards.
Most of Northeast Florida is under a red flag warning as strong winds, warm temperatures and dry conditions increase the chance of fires.
“The winds are certainly an issue today. Gusts could be up to 30 mph,” Bond said.
She said to expect a continued threat to structures over the next 24 to 48 hours because of the strong winds.
Monday’s suppression equipment includes 11 medium firefighting tractor-plow units, one heavy tractor-plow unit and two air tankers.
“People should not let their guard down,” Bond said. “Now is the time to prepare in case you get the notice to evacuate.”
Bond urged families to have a plan on where to go and how to take care of their pets.
“You don’t want to wait until you get that phone call or knock on the door to start getting things ready to evacuate,” she said. “You need to be ready now.”
Don’t spark a new fire
Bond said it will be difficult for firefighters to keep the fires in the containment lines, and she expects to see growth on the fires because of the windy conditions.
“And then any new starts that happen today have the potential to spread extremely rapidly,” Bond said. “There are so many different types of outdoor activities that are starting fires right now.”
Bond said cooking outdoors with charcoal could throw a spark.
“We actually had a fire being started by a pig roast,” she said. “There are things that people are doing with their outdoor activities that they may not realize could actually throw a spark and start a fire.”
She also warned that mowing can be dangerous if the lawnmower strikes a rock and sparks a fire, dragging chains from trailer hitches could spark grass along the road and parking on dry grass should be avoided.
“With conditions so dry and extreme and the fire behavior that we’re seeing, people need to use extreme caution,” Bond said. “We are seeing extremely unusual but very erratic fire behavior right now.”
Clay County is under a burn ban, and officials reminded residents to also avoid burning any debris or disposing of cigarettes on the ground.
Clay officials said residents are asked not to fly personal drones in restricted air spaces.
“We will have to pull air resources if drones are spotted, and this will affect emergency operations,” Chase said.
Evacuations
The Florida Forest Service says crews responded shortly after 5:30 p.m. Sunday to the fire in Clay County, south of Green Cove Springs.
Clay officials urged community members in Keystone Heights and surrounding areas in Alachua and Putnam counties to stay indoors.
Florida Forest Service PIO Robert Chase said now is the time to make sure you are prepared for an emergency.
“You really need to ask yourself, ‘Are you wildfire ready?’” he said. “Be mindful.”
Voluntary evacuations are underway for residents living off Varney Road and Woodward Lane in Green Cove Springs. The evacuation center is Shiloh Baptist Church at 1055 CR 226, according to county officials.
Morris Smith, who lives near one of the fires, said animals are a big issue for some who might need to evacuate.
“Would I leave? That’s a big question to ask because I’m an animal lover and I’ve got animals. So I wouldn’t want to leave my animals behind,” Smith said. “I’ve got a cow. My mom and I.”
The Jacksonville Equestrian Center has offered to take in animals needing to evacuate because of the fires for $25 a night to cover the cost of stripping the stalls and two bags of shavings.
“We will work with you anyway we can as we understand this is an emergency situation,” the center posted.
The Rodeheaver Boys Ranch is also offering a safe place for horses in their paddocks, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. For more information, contact Barn Manager Crystal at 386-336-3435.
Crews from Jacksonville, St. Johns and Putnam assisted in fighting the fire. Flight crews from Chattanooga completed four drops of flame retardant to protect structures in the area.
The burning acreage is a mix of wooded land and recently clear-cut land that has massive amounts of underbrush, which can feed fires.
There are no reports of any structures damaged yet, but officials say they are threatened, including buildings in the area of Eagle Creek and West Tocoi.
Clay County Fire Chief Lorin Mock says unfavorable weather conditions will likely make the response to this fire a multi-day event.
“With the really low humidity that is forecast for the next couple of days, we are going to have a hard time working it and getting control,” Mock said.