Arsonist Worsens Wildfire Calamity in Parched Florida

An arsonist set a dozen fires that threatened homes on Florida’s parched Gulf Coast on Thursday, further taxing firefighters who are trying to tame a 6,000-acre wildfire.

One home was destroyed and dozens of homes and vehicles were damaged by arson fires that burned 500 acres south of Tampa. Scores of residents were evacuated.

“It started shortly after noon and it is of suspicious origin,” said North Port Fire Capt. Ellen Kehoe.

“One home was definitely lost, and others were in danger and probably damaged,” said Kehoe as she stood at a makeshift command post on the road separating Charlotte and Sarasota counties.

In a county reserve near North Port, winds whipped a 6,000-acre fire out of control. One house has been destroyed by the fire, which began Wednesday as a county-approved burn.

The 200 firefighters in the area were too busy to assess further damages.

“We are literally working from one block to the next block on these arson-set fires,” said Ty Alexander, a spokesman for the Florida Division of Forestry.

About 50 homeowners spent the day standing by helplessly, not knowing if their homes, cars or pets had gone up in flames.

Anthony Garguilo’s family had lived in their home less than a week when a knock at the door alerted him to a wall of flames moving into his backyard.

“You’ve got fire in your backyard. Leave now,” the firefighter told Garguilo and his 15-year-old son, Nicholas. “I grabbed my son and they made a path for me and we got out.”

Aggravating firefighting efforts were wind, low humidity and a three-year drought that shows no signs of easing. Florida had been hit with 2,000 wildfires this fire season that burned more than 138,000 acres and damaged or destroyed 43 homes.