Hillsborough Brush Fire Under Control in FishHawk; Smoke, Embers Likely (March 24)

Another day, another brush fire, this one involving some 10 acres in the wetlands area of FishHawk Preserve.

An official from Hillsborough County Emergency Management reported March 24, at around 9:48 p.m., that:

• Forestry officials had the area secured with plow lines.

• Residents in the area of FishHawk Boulevard to the north, FishHawk Crossing to the east, Dorman Road to the south and Osprey Ridge to the west could expect smoke and possibly glowing embers.

• Forestry crews would be back on the scene March 25, in the morning.

Hillsborough Fire Rescue a brush fire involving some 4 to 5 acres at the northeast corner of 78th Street and Progress Boulevard, in the Greater Brandon community of Clair-Mel.

The report of that fire, at 8 p.m., said the fire had been fully contained and had been expected to by fully extinguished within two to three hours.

According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the state, on average, “experiences the second-highest number of wildfires in the nation.” Also, that during dry years, “Florida experiences severe wildfires that destroy homes, disrupt people’s lives and impact our economy.” The department’s Website offers education and training materials to prevent fires.

The Smokey Bear Website, keeps a running total, year to date, on the approximate number of acres burned in the United States. As of 10:25 p.m. March 24, that number was 454,204.71.  The site also offers wildfire science lessons and tips for wildfire prevention.