As wildfires rage across Florida’s Panhandle, three of Florida’s four cabinet members traveled to the region to assess the damage and offer state support. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis (R), and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried all traveled to the Panama City region to assess the three wildfires in the Bay County area.
“We will continue to support Bay County residents while first responders work diligently to contain the fire,” said DeSantis. “Residents in Bay County should ensure their safety by continuing to follow all orders from local officials while the fire remains active.”
The cause of the fire stems from a resident burning residential trash during Florida’s recent dry spell.
More than 1,000 residential homes have been instructed to evacuate the area as recently as Sunday and more than 15,000 acres across the Panhandle are burning. The three fires, Adkins Avenue fire, Bertha Swamp Road fire, and the Star Avenue fire are all part of the Chipola Complex fire.
According to the Florida Department of Agriculture release from Monday morning, the Bertha Swamp Road fire is “estimated at 12,000 acres and containment is at 10 percent.” The Adkins Avenue fire “is 841 acres and 40 percent contained.” And lastly, the “Star Avenue fire is estimated at 250 acres and 45 percent containment.” The Star Avenue fire is the most recently developed fire, as it ignited on Sunday.
DeSantis issued a state of emergency for Bay County, Calhoun County, and Gulf County as the fires are encroaching on the surrounding areas that originated in Bay County.
CFO and State Fire Marshal Patronis said that the debris from Hurricane Michael is causing the fire to rage even more.
“I want to thank Governor DeSantis for once again demonstrating leadership and coming to Bay County as crews try to extinguish this fire. There are a lot of folks that want to go home and these first responders are working around the clock to ensure they have a home to go back to. This fire is being fueled by the dead remnants of Hurricane Michael, and because of the type of region we’re at, there are no fire hydrants in the area – so water has to be trucked in. That’s why so many fire departments from across the Panhandle have been responding. We’re concerned about the wind and what it might do to this fire, so the State Fire Marshal’s Office will continue coordinating with the Governor’s Office, Forestry, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and other local fire departments until this threat has been neutralized. Until then it’s extremely important area residents pay attention and follow the directions of their local officials.”
Fried echoed much of the comments DeSantis and Patronis provided.
“We have a lot of downed trees, a lot of drought,” Fried said, urging people “not to burn in (their) backyards.”
The Florida Forest Service’s Blue Incident Management Team took control of the response to the fires and said that there is no timetable for residents to return to their homes.
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at The Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
Photo “Ron DeSantis” by U.S. Secretary of Defense. CC BY 2.0. Photo “Nikki Fried” by Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Photo “Jimmy Patronis” by State of Florida. Background Photo “Panama City” by salonicI.
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