CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – The massive Railroad Fire burning near the Clay–Putnam County line continues to grow—now spanning around 4,112 acres and about 50% contained, as of Tuesday afternoon.
The fire is the result of two wildfires—the Crews Road Fire in Clay County and the Railroad Complex Fire in Putnam County—merging into an “unpredictable” blaze, according to the Florida Forest Service.
In a 7 p.m. update, officials said the blaze was holding strong as crews continued to work into the night, continuing to establish fire break lines and concentrate on areas of concern.
Three large tankers and two scoopers conducted retardant and water drops to battle the blaze.
The burning acreage is a mix of wooded land and recently clear-cut land that has massive amounts of underbrush, which can feed fires.
Evacuations, closures, cancellations
The fire started spotting on the west side of U.S. Highway 17 at Guthrie Road, prompting voluntary evacuations north of Bostwick for residents along Guthrie Road, Boogerville Road, Hunter Road and White Tail Trail.
The Bostwick Community Center, located at 125 Tillman St. in Palatka, has been set up as a shelter for evacuees.
The Coast Guard issued a Marine Advisory on Tuesday morning because of zero visibility on the St. Johns River near Bostwick and north into Clay.
In a 1:45 p.m. update, Clay County Fire Rescue confirmed that Decoy Road in Clay County reopened, and U.S. 17 also reopened.
U.S. 17 remains open in Putnam County, for now.
Authorities say smoke from the Railroad Fire is affecting Palatka, East Palatka and even south Putnam.
Hilliard Elementary School messaged parents on Tuesday that because of conditions, testing for students in kindergarten through second grade that was set for Tuesday will be rescheduled for a later date. Families will be notified once new dates are confirmed. If conditions permit, Math testing will resume on Thursday, April 23.
we have made the decision to postpone testing for students in kindergarten through second grade today. Testing will be rescheduled for a later date, and families will be notified once new dates are confirmed. If conditions permit, Math testing will resume on Thursday, 4/23/26.
In Putnam County, the Law Enforcement Memorial that was scheduled for Tuesday night has been canceled because of an increase in smoke, visibility and respiratory concerns from the fire.
News4JAX spoke with a resident whose family was displaced by the voluntary evacuations.
“It was scary, very scary. We had some moments there we weren’t sure our property was going to make it,” Darryl Hunter said. “Like I said all of the hard work of the firefighters, they did an outstanding job. We just want to say thank you.”
Hunter, who has lived in his home for only a year, said his family is being put up at a local hotel.
“Unfortunately, until we get a change in either the weather conditions or we get some rain, which doesn’t seem likely, we have to keep those advisories in place to make sure we have comfortable areas for our trucks to get into and also for people not to be in danger,” said Clay County Fire Rescue Chief Lorin Mock.
Because of the fire’s erratic behavior, officials are urging residents to prepare now for the possibility of mandatory evacuations, although those have not yet been ordered.
They warn that if conditions worsen, those evacuations could become mandatory, and residents need to be prepared to move quickly.
“You are going to want to make sure you keep your gas tanks no less than half full, your electric vehicles no less than half full. Because when we call for that evacuation, it’s not going to be time to go to the gas station, it’s going to be time to get the heck out of dodge and move very quickly,” said Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management. “Right now, half is the new empty. If you are at half, go ahead and fill that tank up so you are ready.”
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.
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.
24/7 resources
Crews are working around the clock to try to contain the fire, but most of Northeast Florida is under a red flag warning as strong winds, warm temperatures and dry conditions are fueling the flames.
“We are going to have extensive fire conditions throughout the woods for days and potentially weeks ahead until we get either substantial rainfall or we can work it and get it to darken down,” Mock said. “Given these dry conditions - the heat and the fire within the ground can actually come up for days or weeks beyond this event.”
Guthrie said on Monday that the Florida National Guard Aviation unit will be involved in the firefight beginning Tuesday and that he is in talks with Gov. Ron DeSantis to bring in more state resources as needed.
On Tuesday, News4JAX learned that the Florida National Guard is mobilizing six rotary wing helicopters and associated aircrews/personnel to support the Florida Forest Service in north and central Florida.
Meanwhile, the Florida Forest Service has deployed a significant number of resources to fight the blaze. Earlier, the agency had 63 personnel, 36 dozers, 10 engines and two fixed-wing aircraft on scene.
Federal resources also responded, including three VLATs — Very Large Air Tankers — scoopers, a helicopter and air attack support. Officials note those numbers are fluid as conditions on the fire continue to change rapidly.
Clay County Fire Rescue and Putnam County Fire Rescue also have multiple resources on scene, coordinating structure protection and assisting the Florida Forest Service with wildfire suppression.
Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook says anyone who would like to donate food and drinks to working firefighters may do so Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Items like water, sports drinks and prepackaged snacks can be dropped off at the Clay County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall 2, 2463 FL-16 in Green Cove Springs.
Crews are working day and night shifts in an effort to contain the fire. Updated information is available through the Florida Forest Service’s Fire Response Public Viewer here.
Don’t spark a new fire
Florida Forestry Service spokesperson Dr. Ludie 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.
“There are so many different types of outdoor activities that are starting fires right now,” she said.
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.”
Officials reminded residents to also avoid burning any debris or disposing of cigarettes on the ground.
The following Northeast Florida counties are under a burn ban: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns and Union. Dul County has a permanent ban on burning debris.