State Road 44 reopens after being closed due to smoke from Volusia County brush fire

VOLUSIA COUNTY — A portion of State Road 44 between New Smyrna Beach and DeLand reopened Friday morning after being closed because of smoke from a large brush fire in Volusia County.

What began as a one-acre fire, which ignited shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday, quickly spread to 250 acres because of winds.

Resident Tim McLaughlin could see the massive plume of black smoke billowing up from the burning woods. He said it was unnerving to know the fire was inching closer to his home.

“I was actually coming through Longwood and saw the fire from 17-92,” he said. “Our house is about 1 mile south, and (it) looks like we are (in) good shape.”

Firefighters said the blaze neared power lines. But so far, Florida Power & Light said none have been damaged.

A Volusia County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was used to dump water on the brush fire, which is among nine fires burning in the county.

The fire is 85 percent contained as of Friday evening.

Raw: Brush fire breaks out in DeLand

Info on burn permits in DeLand: 

Due to dry conditions, the DeLand Fire Department has suspended issuing open burn permits.

Open burning, which is burning of unwanted materials such as paper, trees or brush, in the city limits is not allowed without a permit from the DeLand Fire Department. Those permits, however, will not be granted until conditions improve. Any burning conducted within the city will be required to be extinguished.

This is in conjunction with the countywide burn ban that went into effect Friday morning.

Residents are urged to take extra precautions to prevent wildfires. Here are some helpful safety tips:

• Do not discard cigarettes from moving vehicles.
• Do not park a hot car on dry grass.
• Clear flammable vegetation such as leave and dead limbs and twigs from your property.
• Have a garden hose long enough to reach any area of your home or property.

Cox Media Group