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Central Florida firefighters deployed to panhandle to help with wildfires

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A strike team made up of firefighters from departments across Central Florida has been deployed to Bay County in the panhandle to assist with the wildfire response there.

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An approximately 1,400-acre brush fire that has been burning there for days has forced the evacuation of multiple homes in the area.

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22 firefighters from Orange County Fire Rescue, the Seminole County Fire Department, St. Cloud Fire Rescue, Osceola County Fire Rescue, and Canaveral Fire Rescue make up the Engine Strike Team.

They’re expected to be on the front lines in Bay County for anywhere from three to five days helping with fire suppression and protecting buildsings in the path of the wildfire.

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The extra firefighters were requested through the Statewide Emergency Response Plan through which difference regions can get assistance for emergencies that would otherwise overwhelm their local resources.

“Deployments such as this represent the dedication that firefighters have for the citizens they protect, responding wherever they are needed regardless of jurisdiction,” Orange County Fire Rescue Division Chief Michael Wajda said.

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According to the most recent update from the Florida Forest Service, there are currently nearly 160 wildfires burning more than 18,500 acres through Florida.


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