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Crews battle 2,000-acre brush fire near Orange-Brevard county line

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Crews continued to battle a brush fire Tuesday that spanned more than 2,000 acres near the Orange-Brevard county line, the Florida Forest Service said.

The blaze, which was sparked by lightning Friday, is burning in a rural area south of the Christmas neighborhood near state roads 528 and 520.

No homes were endangered, but residents in 11 homes were notified that they might need to evacuate should the fire move closer, forestry officials said Tuesday.

FFS spokeswoman Julie Allen said almost 50 people are involved in the effort.

"We had some air support in yesterday that was dropping water as well as fire retardant," Allen said. "We did that as a protective measure for those homes."

As the wildfire continues to grow, so does the concern of residents like Kaye Moore, who lives along James Creek Road.

“If we have to go, make sure you're packed up and ready to roll,” Moore said. “I've just got picture albums.”

Moore said she isn’t reluctant to evacuate if the flames creep closer.

"I took my dog to the kennel," she said "And my two cats are in the house with their carry cases ready to be thrown in the back seat.

Although half of the fire is contained, dry vegetation continues to fuel the fire.

"That little bit of rain that we received really isn't enough to get us out of that drought situation," Allen said. "There is a lot of dry and heavy fuel in there for that fire to grow quickly."

No roads were closed, but state troopers have put up signs warning drivers that that could change.