LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A brush fire near Umatilla has grown to 120 acres and is now 70% contained, according to the Florida Forest Service.
Officials said three homes have been evacuated as crews continue working to contain the fire near Wiygul Road in Lake County.
According to Lake County Fire Rescue, the fire started around 10:40 a.m. Monday after a homeowner clearing land in a wooded area lost control of the flames.
Authorities said the nearest homes are about a quarter mile from the fire.
Firefighters have staged 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 remain major challenges for crews.
Residents are still being urged to avoid the area. Officials have discussed the possibility of closing Wiygul Road depending on wind direction, though the road remained open as of late Monday afternoon.
Channel 9 has a crew at the scene and will continue updating this story.
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