Blazes in Florida Controlled Despite High Wind Threat

Firefighters managed to keep under control all of Florida’s brush fires Saturday, including the largest that scorched more than 4,000 acres, but state foresters warned that they were not out of the woods yet.

The Florida Division of Forestry said a “high fire danger” exists because of gusty winds and dry air, and warned residents and campers to restrict outdoor burning.

Brush and vegetation were dried out by a crop-killing January freeze, but a shortage of rain in recent months made conditions even worse.

Larry Amison, a forestry division spokesman, said this year’s fires were “the worst we’ve had in many years” because of the extent of damage. About a dozen homes and several sheds and barns have been damaged or destroyed, he said.

“We’re having homes burned and many more threatened,” he said. “The reason is the increased trend of people building homes in woodlands. The Naples area is a perfect example.”

So far this year, there have been 2,808 brush fires and 101,165 charred acres across the state, Amison said. The state average for this time of year is 2,125 fires and 51,522 scorched acres, he said.