By-Line: Julie Murphy, Flagler County Government
A fire, named the “Cowpen Fire,” that started about 3 p.m. Thursday (April 24) on the west side of Flagler County quickly grew from 7 to 250 acres in a matter of hours. Still burning, though 90% contained as of Friday morning, fire officials urge residents to be mindful of the current burn ban and to call 9-1-1 to report smoke column sightings.
There were no injuries, threatened structures, or evacuations resulting from the fire in western Flagler County off County Road 305. Crews from the Florida Forest Service (Forestry), with the assistance of Flagler County Fire Rescue, worked all night to contain the fire.
“We had the county’s UAS drone team out last night with their infrared imaging to help us get an exact picture of what this fire looks like, and to make a plan moving forward,” said Fire Chief Michael Tucker.
Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Brady Barry provided a Friday morning update.
“We will continue to assist Forestry with two attack (brush) trucks, one water tender, and one battalion,” Barry said. “Forestry, the lead agency, has the bulk of the equipment and resources.”
Those resources include a Heavy Equipment Task Force with multiple bulldozers to cut fire lines and an Engine Strike Team of six brush trucks.
FireFlight on Thursday started dropping water on the fire and was joined shortly thereafter by a Forestry helicopter out of Ocala and a fixed-wing aircraft monitoring the two helicopters to ensure a safe distance was kept as they traveled back and forth from the dipping location and the fire.
“That fixed wing is very important to the operation,” Barry said.
All fire officials urge residents to remember how dry it has been and to be diligent with fire safety habits.
Flagler County enacted a burn ban on April 22 and declared a state of local emergency to do so. The ban remains in effect for seven days.
“The conditions are becoming favorable for rapid fire growth so this action will help,” said Flagler County Fire Rescue Chief Michael Tucker. “In addition to the ban on burning, remember that a good offense is the best defense. Clear the area around your house of anything that will go up in flames easily – including stacks of firewood, portable propane tanks, and dead, dry vegetation.”
The burn ban prohibits the following:
- Discharge/use of fireworks, sparklers, flares, or other items containing any “explosive compound”
- Open burning, including the use of fire pits and containers
- Outdoor cookers and grills unless continuously attended by an adult
- Throwing matches, cigarettes, or other burning materials from vehicles
- Parking vehicles with catalytic converters in high grassy areas
The rule of thumb for taking personal protective measures, accepted by a variety of fire prevention agencies, including the National Fire Protection Association, is that all flammable items within 30 feet of a structure should be removed. Homeowners should clear roofs, eaves, gutters, wood decks, and patios of leaves, needles, and other debris.
“Additionally, do not store things under decks or porches, and consider using rocks or gravel in those areas instead of grass or mulch,” Tucker said. “Wood-driven fires, like brushfires, create embers that can be carried quite far, and tend to find their way to the same nooks and crannies where leaves accumulate.”
Barbecue coals should be fully extinguished before adding them to garbage receptacles.
