I-10 Closed In Santa Rosa County Due To Wildfire

May 6, 2020

All lanes of I-10 in Santa Rosa County were closed Wednesday due t massive wildfire in Santa Rosa County.

I-10 is closed from from Exit 22 at Avalon Boulevard to Exit 31 at Highway 87 after the fire crossed the interstate.

After two days of building fire lines to stop the Five Mile Swamp Fire, a dramatic change in the weather is challending firefighters from the Florida Forest Service return to widen and improve fire breaks this morning. Fourteen tractor/plow units and an airplane started the day’s efforts with three helicopters available as needed for water drops to help cool hot spots and flare ups. Thirty-three total personnel are assigned to the fire. The fire is estimated at 250 acres and crews have it 40% contained.

Firefighters established a line around the entire fire Tuesday but significant unburned vegetation remains inside the perimeter. The fire started just east of the former Moors golf course when a prescribed burn on private land escaped Monday afternoon. Winds and terrain pushed the fire to the northeast toward the area between Renee Circle and Audiss Road just east of the Santa Rosa County Landfill.

Today’s weather brings north winds – directly opposite of the previous several days – and extremely low humidity in the 20-25% range. This will increase fire behavior and push the fire toward the Ski Watch subdivision and Interstate 10 so crews are focusing the majority of their efforts along the south and eastern edges of the fire. Avalon and Bagdad fire departments have been providing structure protection and will continue to do so as a precautionary measure.

In light of these conditions, officials with the Blackwater Forestry Center are not issuing burn authorizations in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties today.

Comments

2 Responses to “I-10 Closed In Santa Rosa County Due To Wildfire”

  1. Charlie on May 7th, 2020 10:39 pm

    They are not green anymore, so they did burn. Just not all of the way, as the main part of the trees didn’t burn down all of the way either.

  2. Dawn on May 6th, 2020 7:57 pm

    Strange….the first picture showing the burned trees, all except the tops. Is that normal for a wildfire?

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News