400-acre prescribed burn west of I-95

14-acre prescribed burn happening at North Sebastian Conservation Area

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Motorists driving along Main Street will likely see smoke from a small, 14-acre prescribed burn taking place Wednesday at the North Sebastian Conservation Area. A much larger burn, 700 acres, was being conducted to the north at St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park in Brevard County. "The fire is located in Brevard County, but smoke will be drifting south," St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park officials said. Fellsmere residents reported seeing and smelling smoke along with ash. The smaller controlled burn in northern Indian River County started at 10 a.m. at the conservation area, located just north of Main Street and west of U.S. 1 in Sebastian, said Wendy Swindell, the county's assistant director of parks ...

Boca Raton man killed in two-vehicle crash Sunday on I-95

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 22-year-old Boca Raton man was killed after his vehicle slammed into the back of a semi-trailer early Sunday on Interstate 95, leaving the vehicle's front pinned underneath the truck, Florida Highway Patrol troopers said. The semi-trailer's driver - a 36-year-old Margate man - was not hurt. The crash involving a 2005 tan Honda CR-V sports utility vehicle and a 2019 red Volvo VNL semi-trailer happened about 3:45 a.m. Sunday on the overpass of State Road 60, mile marker 147, west of the Vero Beach city limits. Both vehicles were headed southbound in the outside lane. Troopers said the SUV was trailing behind the semi-trailer. The front of the SUV collided with the back of the ...

St. Johns District conducts more than 5,000-acre prescribed burn in Fellsmere

FELLSMERE — Residents and motorists traveling along County Road 512 likely saw and smelled smoke columns from a prescribed burn - more than 5,000 acres - that happened Wednesday. But no need to fret - the smoke did not reach the roadways. The controlled burn - which lessens the risk of uncontrollable wildfires - scorched off wetlands, grasses and palmettos at the Fellsmere Water Management Area, officials said. The St. Johns River Water Management District Fire Team conducted the 5,183-acre burn. Ignition began about 11 a.m. and ended about 4 p.m., with the smoke expected to linger, officials said. "Staff will be on site to monitor until it is finished smoking," Media Outreach Manager Ashley Evitt said. "With the northeast ...