INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — All roads in the vicinity of the South County Water Treatment Plant have reopened after an estimated 40-acre brush fire forced their closures last night.
Firefighters worked on the area near 5th Street Southwest and 20th Avenue Southwest nearly five hours straight to bring two different fires plus several hot spots under control, protecting nearby homes and two county utility compounds from being scorched by the blaze, and to minimize damage to the South County Regional Park, where a $10.7 million Inter-generational Center is under construction.
The Division of Forestry, of Okeechobee, was called in and created fire breaks to prevent the fire from spreading further.
“As of this morning, all was clear, but they are still concerned about the chance of flare ups today depending on the wind,” Sheriff’s Office and Fire Rescue spokesman Sgt. Eric Flowers told VeroNews.com Monday morning.
How the fire started remains unknown. There were no injuries and no structure damage, Sgt. Flowers said.
The fire was so large at dusk on Sunday that it was visible by drivers going over the Alma Lee Loy (17th Street) bridge in Vero Beach.
At one point, personnel and vehicles from seven of the Indian River County’s 12 fire stations as far as Roseland Road in the North County were dispatched to the scene, and personnel from the barrier island were staged away from their home stations to cover other fire and medical calls in Vero Beach.
Two Indian River County Sheriff’s Office helicopters flew above the scene guiding firefighters to access roads and initially mapping out the direction and extent of the fire. Around 9 p.m., pilots estimated that 40 acres were burning.
Vehicles and personnel from the Florida Division of Forestry arrived just after 9 p.m. with two plows to help clear brush to plow the fire line and to give crews a better location fight the fire near the water plant, which is surrounded by dense vegetation.
Resources from Okeechobee County also sent reinforcements. St. Lucie County offered their firefighters and trucks as well Sunday night, but by that time, all needed crews were in position and that aid was declined for the time being.
Flare-ups continued to spark around the perimeter of the brush fire throughout the evening from hot, floating embers, the most recent flaring up near a structure at the Osprey Marsh Stormwater Park, and another near a housing development at the corner of Oslo Road and 20th Avenue Southwest.
According to radio communications, crews were positioned strategically to protect a cluster of homes in the event that winds shift and the fire spread. No evacuations were necessary.
The initial brush fire at the South County Regional Park was spotted by a Sheriff’s Deputy around 7 p.m., just as calls began to come in from the public about the fire.
While six Indian River County fire and brush trucks were fighting a half-acre fire at the park, a second fire broke out near the South County Water Treatment Plant just before 8 p.m.
The fire was called in by a utility worker, according to dispatch reports.
As the fire at the South County Park was beginning to be put under control, resources were diverted to fight the blaze at the nearby water plant.
Firefighters first on scene reported on the scanner that the fire was about 120 feet in diameter, and that it was about 300 feet or so from homes.
After waiting for someone to show up with a key to the gate at the county’s Osprey Marsh Stormwater Park, firefighters had to cut though fencing in two places to gain access to fight the fire.
Engine 6 from the South Barrier Island near St. Edward’s School was moved into Station 1 on Old Dixie Highway to cover that zone. Crews from Station 5 in Winter Beach were moved to Station 3 near the Vero Beach Airport to cover that area.
Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to the scene to help with traffic control.
No injuries have been reported, but emergency medical technicians were on-hand to render aid to fire-rescue personnel, if needed.
Staff writer Debbie Carson contributed to this report.
