Brushfire Could Close Part Of State Road 50

Firefighters are monitoring a brushfire in the Clermont area that could close parts of State Road 50 throughout the day Monday.

SPECIAL SECTION: Wildfires

Smoky conditions along the roadway forced FHP to close portions of the highway westbound at 12th Street in Clermont and eastbound at Max Hooks Road late Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

Later Sunday morning, as conditions improved, 50 was reopened. However, as brush fires continued burning in the area of Clermont and Groveland, firefighters efforts to put the fire out created smoky conditions prompting continued road closures.

The blaze was sparked by a lightning strike on Friday and the fire has grown to nearly 1000 acres. Heavy rains Sunday helped knock down the fire. Crew also used incendiary devices to fight it.

"It could burn for three to four weeks if we left it unattended and just let it burn through the area. So if we go ahead an burn it out immeditely we'll have a blacked out area there totally burned out, vegetation gone," said fire official.