Wildfires burn dozens of Fla. homes, injure at least 3 firefighters

By Etan Horowitz
The Orlando Sentinel (Florida)

AP Photo/John Raoux
Firefighters work to contain a brush fire along the edge of the Bayberry Lakes subdivision in Daytona Beach, Fla., Monday. A 5-mile stretch of LPGA Boulevard through Daytona Beach was shut down because the fire was too close to the road.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Relentless wildfires burned Tuesday across Florida's Atlantic coast, taxing firefighters and overwhelming residents, some of whom tried to save their homes with garden hoses.

Firefighters in the town of Palm Bay have spent more than 48 hours battling the state's biggest blaze, which has damaged about 70 homes and scorched 3,500 acres (1,400 hectares), or about 5 1/2 square miles (14 square kilometers).

"Everytime I turn around another house is on fire. We don't have enough resources on our own to do a job like this," said Palm Bay spokeswoman Yvonne Martinez.

Officials expressed concern early Tuesday after flare-ups overnight. Flare-ups when humidity is higher can be a bad sign because fire spreads even more quickly during the drier and windier daylight hours, said Palm Bay Assistant Fire Chief Jim Stables.

A 34-mile stretch of Interstate 95 and a portion of U.S. Highway 1 that had been closed due to smoke were reopened early Tuesday.

All 18 schools in Palm Bay were closed Tuesday.

Governor Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency Monday as dry, windy weather worsened conditions. His orders allow Florida to use federal funds and bring local emergency workers under state control. It also allows Florida to call on other states for help, if necessary.

Firefighters may get some help Tuesday, since winds on the coast were expected to slow to 10 to 15 mph (16 to 24 kph), according to the National Weather Service.

Authorities said the fire at Malabar may be the result of arson. A witness saw someone in a car drop something into an open field, and the fire started shortly afterward, an arson investigator said.

In Daytona Beach, an 800-acre (320-hectare) fire forced an evacuation order for about 500 homes, but residents were allowed to return Monday evening. No structures were reported damaged, though officials warned embers could fly more than a mile (a kilometer and a half) from the blaze and spark new hot spots.

Ray Ademski, a 68-year-old retiree, left his Daytona Beach home with his wife and their important papers when he saw columns of smoke Sunday night around the subdivision. He hosed down the roof and turned on the sprinklers in his yard before the couple left for a hotel.

"I could feel the heat from both sides," said Ademski, who returned by bicycle Monday to survey the damage. "The smoke was going straight into my eyes. It was terrible."

At least three firefighters were injured Monday, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.