LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — As a burn ban remains in effect alongside a red flag warning in Lake County, firefighters are monitoring a 120-acre brush fire that is 85% contained. Crews say dry, windy conditions make it challenging for everyone.
Grace Weinzen and her husband, Tim, are riding around, concerned about a brush fire flaring up again near their Umatilla home. “It’s starting to get black smoke again, so I think it’s kicking up again.”
The couple is especially concerned about their farm. “Just anxious. Just anxious.”
It contains 5,000 pine trees. “There’s nothing we can do. We have a pine tree farm. I sure hate to lose my pine trees.” Tim says, “I will monitor it. So are you ready to evacuate? As ready as can be under the circumstances.”
Lake County firefighters say people from five homes voluntarily evacuated along Wiygul Road yesterday, including Grace and Tim. “Put some things in a camper and took it down to the end of the road to a friend’s house to be cautious, basically. So if something happened, we could move fast.” Tim says he’s ready to move the camper again if he has to. “I’m a little more anxious than she is.”
Rescuers say the fire originally started a few days ago after another resident was clearing land.
Battalion Chief Jeff Hurst, Lake County Fire, says, “We want to make sure that if the winds pick up, those embers don’t cross the plow lines that the tractors have put down and removed those fuels.”
For Tim and Grace, it’s a helpless feeling. Grace says, “There’s not much we can do. If it gets close, save ourselves.” Firefighters say people should call 911 if they see smoke.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2026 Cox Media Group
