Massachusetts

Fire in Garcon Point 100% contained

Idris Bevan August 21, 2024

SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Florida (WALA) – Everything is quiet in Garcon Point now. But 24 hours ago, things looked very different. Teams from several fire departments and the Florida Forestry Service were extinguishing a 12-acre forest fire, while people had to be evacuated from around 400 homes. Julian Loftis of the Loftis Marine Division immediately went to check on his business.

“It’s definitely stressful because you’re trying to get your property wet and make sure everything is safe,” said Julian Loftis, COO of Loftis Marine Division. “Take all the tags, all the valuables, everything we need to do our day-to-day business and get it out of here as quickly as possible.”

Like many others in the area, Loftis lived through the Five Mile Swamp fire in 2020. He says experiences like that helped him know exactly what to do when that fire broke out. But that doesn’t make it any easier.

“We were wetting the roof all the time and spraying along the tree line because it looked like the fire was going in that direction, and we learned that from the Five Mile Swamp fire,” Loftis added. “We actually went up on the roof and put a sprinkler system there, and that’s what saved our house that time.”

That experience also helped the Florida Forestry Service, which deployed several bulldozers and a helicopter to extinguish the fire. Crews were back out this morning improving firebreaks and making sure all hot spots are contained.

“The best thing right now is to let the remaining fuels burn off,” said Joe Zwierzchowski, a wildfire specialist with the Blackwater Forestry Center. “We can spray all that stuff with water, but with the heat and dryness, it’s just going to soak up the water and flare up again at a later date. So the sooner they burn off, the quicker the problem will be solved.”

The Florida Forestry Service says people need to be cautious when doing things like cooking outdoors or burning trash until heavy rains return, and recommends keeping a water hose nearby at all times when engaging in such activities.

They also say residents and motorists may still see some smoke and embers, but authorities say they are within the fire line and do not pose a threat to containment.