LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Crews in Lake County continue battling a brush fire near Umatilla that has now grown to 115 acres and is about 50% contained, according to the Florida Forest Service.
The fire is burning near Wiygul Road, where officials are urging residents to avoid the area. Authorities said there has been discussion about potentially shutting down the road depending on wind conditions, though it remained open as of late Monday afternoon.
According to Lake County Fire Rescue, the fire started around 10:40 a.m. after a homeowner clearing land in a wooded area lost control of the flames.
Fire officials said the nearest home is about a quarter mile from the fire.
Crews have staged fire trucks along the roadway while bulldozers cut control lines to create barriers between the fire and nearby homes.
“They put control lines all the way around, so they’re on the backside of the homes, and there are also control lines east and west of this fire,” Battalion Chief Jeff Hurst said. “We’ve doubled those lines for containment because of the windy conditions today.”
Officials said wind, dry conditions and difficult swamp terrain are making containment more challenging.
Channel 9 has a crew at the scene and will continue updating this story.
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