Two fast-moving brush fires burning near the Clay–Putnam County line are growing into a single large fire burning more than 3,000 acres, threatening structures and forcing voluntary evacuations, according to Florida Forestry Service spokesperson Dr. Ludie Bond.
The larger fire in Clay County has burned up to 1,700 acres and remains uncontained, while the second fire nearby in Putnam County, north of Bostwick and east of US 17, is about 1,000 acres and only 5% contained as of Monday morning.
WATCH: Full interview with Bond on The Morning Show
Even though the fire is 1 mile east of US 17, smoke signs are still required on US 17 because of smoke drifting that way, officials said.
Bond said the fires have been dubbed the Railroad Complex Fire because a complex involves multiple fires being worked by the same crews.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
Crews from Jacksonville, St. Johns and Putnam assisted in fighting the fire. Flight crews from Chattanooga completed four drops to protect structures in the area.
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.