Fires continue to rage across central Florida

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

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Firefighters had to deal with winds that fanned flames on Monday.

DAYTONA BEACH (Bay News 9) -- Governor Charlie Crist, who declared a state of emergency on Monday, is due in Brevard County on Tuesday to get a first hand look at the fires that are ravaging in east central Florida.

Hundreds of residents were under evacuation orders. Firefighters from around the state and the National Guard were called to assist and the state's Emergency Operations Center went on a partial activation.

The largest fire was in Malabar, where about 3,000 acres burned and at least two homes have been destroyed. In Palm Bay at least a dozen homes were damaged. More than a dozen schools have been closed.

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About 80 miles north in Daytona Beach, an 800-acre fire forced an evacuation order for about 500 homes, but residents were allowed to return this evening.

No structures were reported damaged, though officials warned embers could fly more than a mile from the blaze and spark new hot spots.

A Palm Bay firefighter was injured near Bayside High School. A Daytona Beach firefighter was also treated at the scene for minor injures.

Emergency response chief David Halstead said the EOC was coordinating with local and county fire departments to get more equipment and personnel to the fire areas.

This home in Brevard County could not be saved by firefighters.

"We have partially activated -- not to Level 2 yet, but we have operations, plans -- certainly our fire personnel are activated, and they're working off site, moving resources," Halstead said. "We've moved more than 25 fire engines and about15 wildfire engines from around the state to that impacted area."

Halstead said if the fires get worse over the next couple days, the EOC would ask the federal government for a fire management assistance grant, which will help defer the costs of fighting the fires.

$5,000 award

The Division of Forestry said arson is behind many of the fires statewide. The division asks anyone who knows of an arson incident to call 800-342-5869 or the local Division of Forestry Field Office.