Wildfire Update: Beulah Fire 98% Contained; Santa Rosa Fire Closes Interstate, Causes Wrecks

May 16, 2020

Smoke from the 2,215-acre 5 Mile Swamp Fire forced the Florida Highway Patrol and Department of Transportation to close a portion of Interstate 10 for several hours. The interstate was closed between exits 22 and 31 from just before 2 a.m. to about 5 a.m. and FHP reported eight vehicles were involved in accidents.

With nearly 100 active wildfires throughout the state, motorists are encouraged to be on the look for smoke on the road. Drivers should treat the smoke as fog, turn on low-beam headlights and treat it as fog. If conditions deteriorate, drivers should pull safely off the road and turn on their hazard lights while waiting for visibility to improve.

Firefighters continue to monitor and patrol both Five Mile Swamp and the Hurst Hammock Fire looking for any remaining hot spots to douse and keeping the fire within containment lines. The Hurst Hammock Fire is 1,191 acres and 98% contained. Five Mile Swamp Fire remains 97% contained.

As patrol operations continue, residents are likely to witness what’s known as reburn as trees that were affected by the fire but not completely burned will drop their remaining leaves and needles as they begin their recovery process. These needles and leaves could land in lingering hot spots that are well inside the fire lines and flare up. Crews have been mopping up hot spots within 50 feet of the fire line for several days so any reburn that occurs should pose minimal risk to containment but could create an increase in smoke in some areas.

Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties have enacted burn bans and the Florida Forest Service is not issuing burn authorizations. Residents are asked to call the non-emergency line for their respective area to report violations and 911 for emergency situations only.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News