NewsBreak Original

With Spring approaching, Florida's yearly drying out is upon us. Multiple wildfires have been starting due to various reasons. One of those reasons is agricultural equipment. Many ranchers are baling up hay and with dry grass and low humidity, some of these machines are catching fire. On Tuesday, March 1, Florida Forest Service and Okeechobee County Fire Rescue responded to a brush fire off of Dark Hammock Road. Okeechobee County proceeded to use their brush truck to fight the fire from the black (burned) area. The fire was quickly brought under control and the owner lost approximately 3 acres of his hayfield. After an investigation, it was determined that the tractor being used had heated up grass and started the fire.

2/21/2022- Okeechobee County, Fl. A hay baler caught fire Sunday and caused approximately 20 acres of a field to burn. Florida Forest Service was contacted by a local rancher after his equipment caught fire. 2 dozer/plow units were dispatched and proceeded to put breaks around the fire in order to stop it's forward progression. The dozers performed a pinching maneuver to contain the fire in the shortest time possible. The Okeechobee County Fire Department dispatched a brush truck to help put out the burning hay bales and to also mop up the edges to help put the fire out. The fire had burned close to a barn and some other structures used for storage and equipment. Approximately 50 round hay bales were lost in the fire. The cost of the damaged equipment totaled about $25,000. This is not including any fences that were burnt or damaged.

2/15/2022 Glades County, Fl. A fast moving brushfire was stopped by the Florida Forest Service with help from the Okeechobee County Fire Department and the Glades County Fire Department. Around 12:00 on Tuesday, the Florida Forest Service received a call from a resident saying there was a large brushfire in his pasture. Florida Forest Service units from Okeechobee and Glades County responded to the incident. When Forest Service units arrived on scene, they noticed the fire in mostly grass with flames 10-12ft in height. With the strong winds from the recent cold front, the fire ran quickly through the dry and dead vegetation. The location and terrain made fighting this fire difficult. Due to it being a cow pasture, there were many flag ponds and wet areas that could have caused trucks to get bogged down or dozers to get stuck. Within 2 hours, the brushfire was almost 200 acres and in multiple properties. After about 3 hours of firefighting, the blaze was contained and the fire department brush trucks continued with mop up operations until all smoke and flames were out.

Multiple brushfires along a railroad in Highlands County caused railroad companies to shut down their tracks for a few hours on Monday. Highlands County Fire Department and multiple units from the Florida Forest Service fought the blazes on both sides of the tracks. The fire was burning in an approximately 30 year rough. The fuel was mostly 10 foot palmettos and oak trees. This caused many issues for the firefighters due to the denseness of the vegetation. Florida Forest Service dozers were able to break through the palmettos and establish fire breaks to slow or stop the spread of the fire. Fire department units were able to follow up and put out any lingering flames or smoke. The fire had jumped into a pasture and made a 5 acre run before it was stopped by brush trucks. The size of this fire was approximately 50 acres. Another wildfire in Glades County started along the tracks a few minutes later. Florida Forest Service and Glades County Fire Department were on scene and quickly put it out. During the dry season, sparks from trains can occasionally start fires while the train is moving.

Early Morning Fire Burns Down House At Spot in the Sun Community. Residents of the Spot in the Sun community of Okeechobee County were awakened to a neighbors house in flames. Okeechobee County Fire Department was alerted to the blaze by a local resident who was en route to work. Because of the rural area that Spot in the Sun is located, the Florida Forest Service was called and put on standby in case the fire spread into the surrounding brush. The resident explained that she had just started leaving for work when she spotted a dark, black column. She immediately called the fire department. When she noticed how close to the surrounding dry brush the structure was, she then called the Florida Forest Service. There are no details yet due to the incident being under investigation.