PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) — Massive wildfires in northwest Florida forced veterans to evacuate Sunday from a residence as well as residents of more than 1,000 homes in an area that is still burning. recovering from a category 5 hurricane recorded three years ago.
Firefighters battled the Bertha Swamp Road fire, which covered 9,000 acres (3,642 hectares), and the Adkins Avenue fire, which covered 841 acres (340 hectares).
Both threatened nearby homes and led to the evacuation of at least 1,100 homes in Bay County over the weekend. The Adkins Avenue Fire destroyed two structures and damaged 12 other homes Friday night.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the Bertha Swamp Road fire “a big kid” at a news conference in Panama City on Sunday afternoon. “It’s moving very quickly.”
On Sunday, a third fire forced the evacuation of a 120-bed state-operated veterans residence in Panama City.
Public transportation was used to transport residents of the Clifford Chester Sims State Veterans Home. Buses were also on standby in case the 1,300 inmates at the nearby Bay County Jail needed to be evacuated to other facilities.
In 2018, Hurricane Michael caused 16 deaths and caused about $25 billion in damage in the United States, in addition to downing about 72 million tons of trees, which have fueled the most recent fires, according to the Florida Forest Service.
The authorities emphasized that they did not know when the inhabitants will be able to return to their homes. The county opened a shelter at the Bay County Amusement Park for displaced residents.
“I know there has been frustration that people have not been able to go back to their homes,” Bay County Police Chief Tommy Ford said. ”We have had situations that have arisen from one minute to the next and that have really caused problems. As soon as we can, we will let people back.”
The Adkins Avenue fire has been burning since Friday and was 35% contained as of Sunday, though it prompted the evacuation of at least 600 homes.
Authorities initially said it was a 1,400-acre (567-hectare) fire, but on Sunday afternoon they adjusted the size down.
The Bertha Swamp Fire started in Gulf County on Friday and spread to neighboring Bay and Calhoun counties on Saturday, forcing more evacuations. By Sunday it was 10% contained.
“It’s hard to believe something could be this big,” said Brad Monroe, Bay County’s chief of emergency services. “If you fly over the surroundings, it’s really amazing. It’s hard to comprehend how huge, strong and ferocious this fire is.”
Florida Forest Service helicopters had dropped more than 103,000 gallons (468,000 liters) of water on the Adkins Avenue fire since Friday, and 25 bulldozers had been deployed to plow fire lines. Firefighters from across Florida were dispatched to the county to battle the flames.