Firefighters urged residents near the 2,000-acre "water plant fire" in east Orange County not to let their guard down Tuesday.

The "water plant fire," as it's being called, is burning just south of the Beachline Expressway and was ignited by a lightning strike from last week's storms.

The Florida Forest Service said it's starting to get the upper hand on the fast-moving fire, which has not grown Tuesday and is 50 percent contained.

Florida Fire Service helicopters continue making water drops on the fire working to contain the fire.

Haze and smoke can be seen for miles, and visibility is still an issue, especially into the nighttime hours. 

"It was heavy this morning coming to work, and I smelled it all the way in East Orlando," said Voddie Adamcewicz, whose daily commute to his Cocoa office takes him down State Road 520.

"As long as they keep 520 open I can make it to work," he added.

“However, we do have 11 homes in the area that we’ve talked to (the residents) about being ready in the event that we may need them to evacuate if there’s some type of wind shift,” agency spokeswoman Julia Allen said.

About a dozen residents in homes along James Creek Road have been keeping an eye on the fire and were prepared to evacuate if necessary. Forestry helicopters dropped red retardant on the brush fire to try to stop it from spreading.

On Monday, the flames came within a mile of Kay Moore’s backyard. At the time, she said she was ready to evacuate then if the fire came closer. "I just unpacked the car, because I figured OK, everything’s fine," Moore said.

But Tuesday morning, she was repacking everything she put away and will wait.

“I’ll just be here, waiting for somebody to come and knock on the door,” Moore said.

Moore said she's ready to leave her home behind if necessary.

“It’s insured. You can replace that. You can’t replace pictures and animals and whatever,” she said.

She left her dog at kennel. Her two cats will wait for the evacuation order and travel with her if that order is given.

Meanwhile, fire crews remain vigilant.

"They are busy. They've already dug out the trenches," Allen said. "We are still in a serious drought situation, so don't become complacent."

The Florida Forest Service says 2,300 wildfires have burned 233,000 acres in Florida this year so far. 

As of May 30, there are 84 active wildfires in the state.