Panama City. Firefighters in Northwest Florida are battling several large wildfires. Flames from two fires covered areas of more than 3,600 hectares and 340 hectares over the weekend. At least 1,100 homes in Bay County, in the state’s so-called Panhandle, have been evacuated as a precaution. Authorities reported damage to 14 buildings but no injuries. A third fire broke out Sunday, prompting the evacuation of a 120-bed nursing home in Panama City.
Bay County Government tweeted that it was not yet safe for residents to return to their homes. She opened an emergency shelter and asked for patience. The smaller second blaze, known as the Adkins Avenue fire, was 35 percent under control Sunday. The much larger Bertha Swamp fire broke out in neighboring Gulf County on Friday but spread to Bay and Calhoun counties on Saturday. As of Sunday, the fire was 10 percent contained. The fire brigade used helicopters and bulldozers, and the gusty wind made extinguishing the fire difficult.
Expert fears violent fire season
It’s incredibly dry throughout Florida, said Joe Zwierzchowski, a spokesman for the Forest Service. Forest fires usually only increase in April and May. Experiencing this in early March gives an idea of how the fire season will turn out, he said.
The area was badly hit by Hurricane Michael in 2018. The hurricane left around 72 million tons of destroyed trees in its wake, which, according to the forest service, are now fueling the forest fires.
