Fire officials in Citrus County are concerned about unpaved roadways affecting their response times. But there isn't much county leaders can do about the issue, since many roads in the area are privately owned.

The combination of unpaved and uneven roads can make it tough to get to a call quickly, according to firefighters.

  • Road conditions affect firefighting efforts in Citrus Co.
  • Residents hope roads can be fixed, but many are privately owned
  • Trucks can get stuck on sandy roads

"The first incoming engine has to be the one to let everybody else know what the road conditions are to get to the call," Gary Bonick with Citrus County Sheriff Fire Rescue said.

He said sometimes they'll have to create a staging area and down the roads on foot, further adding to their response time.

Fire officials say when they drive along sandy roads, it's really easy to get stuck because of just how soft the sand is. If they get stuck, it's a chore to get out.

"They have to drain the water to make the truck lighter for the tow truck to get it out of the condition," Bonick said. "That changes things because we have to pull an extended hose to get the water to the truck without wasting the water so we can successfully use it on a fire," Boncik explained.

But sometimes, they can't save enough water. Patsy Collett said fire trucks got stuck when her son's home was on fire and couldn't get to it in time.

"I was yelling at them, 'Don't stop the truck. Don't stop the truck. Because if you do it's going to sink.' And they turned into the driveway and stopped. And they lost 2,200 gallons of water, (it) went down the dirt road while my son's house burned to the ground," she said.

Patsy said she wants to see the roads fixed so other homes can be saved. The issue is her neighborhood has to front the bill.

"They just need fixing, but the county won't fix them because it's private out here and we can't afford it," she explained.

So for now, firefighters have to continue weaving their way through the sand until a solution can be found.

County administrator Randy Oliver told our partners at the Citrus County Chronicle that private road owners can apply for the road improvement program with the county. But a majority of the residents on that road must agree to that application.