State firefighters on Saturday returned to the site of an 18-acre brush fire – fully extinguished – to make sure the flames do not rekindle, authorities said.
Florida Forest Service went to the area at 9 a.m. near the Spanish Lakes Community between the Indian River County and St. Lucie County border line, Mitigation Specialist Miguel Nevarez said. State firefighters will remain in the area until about noon to monitor for any hot spots.
“With any fire there will be a few things left smoldering,” Nevarez said.
No injuries were reported in the incident, Nevarez said. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Indian River County Fire Rescue and the St. Lucie County Fire District assisted the Forest Service in knocking down the flames. The fire sparked about 4:40 p.m. Friday, sending billows of smoke into the air, Nevarez said.
There were no structures threatened from the blaze. Forest Service had two engines and two wildfire fighting dozers at the scene that created a line around the fire, Nevarez said.
St. Lucie firefighters had four brush trucks dispatched to the area. It was unclear how many Indian River County Fire Rescue engines went to the blaze.
The fire was 100 percent contained by 7:30 p.m. and fully extinguished shortly after, Nevarez said. The flames rekindled about 1 a.m. Saturday, but were fully extinguished by the Forest Service.
As Florida remains in dry season, Nevarez encouraged residents to be aware of the heat and to do anything they can to prevent uncontrollable brush fires.
“Try not to drive in tall grass. The fumes from your vehicle can start a fire,” Nevarez said. “(Examples) of dry fuels are browning of vegetation and piled up dead leaves. Dry fuels are easier to ignite and lead to more intense wildfires.”