Last week, residents across Southwest Florida were counting on the forecasted storms to finally ease our drought and brushfire problems. Instead, the rain barely showed up. Now, we’re left with even drier conditions, and yet another brush fire.
Evacuation orders hit parts of neighboring Collier County after a wildfire started ripping through Picayune Strand State Forest, just south of I-75 near Naples. By Tuesday morning, the Florida Forest Service said the fire had already scorched 1,500 acres; they’d only got 15 percent of it under control. Winds pushed thick smoke toward Naples and nearby neighborhoods. I-75, better known as Alligator Alley, stayed open, at least for now, but the Florida Highway Patrol isn’t taking any chances. They’re watching closely, ready to shut the road if smoke or flames threaten drivers.
The smoke cloud, dark, heavy, and impossible to miss, hung over Alligator Alley while crews fought the fire. According to the North Collier County Fire Rescue District, as of Monday evening, the flames had grown to 600 acres with only a sliver contained.
Evacuations are in effect for neighborhoods near the fire: sections of Stable Way, Union Drive, Barton Gliba Drive, Benfield Road, Beck Boulevard, and Le Buff Road are all affected. For those forced out, a shelter at 4701 Golden Gate Parkway in Naples is open.
As conditions changed overnight, the fire expanded, swallowing up more land. Firefighters and forest teams pulled off a 15-acre burnout to slow the spread, reinforcing the lines around homes. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office even called in its Aviation Unit, dropping buckets of water onto the flames from above.
As of now, the wildfire’s burned through 1,500 acres and stands at just 15 percent contained. Teams from the Florida Forestry Service and Greater Naples Firefighters are still battling to bring this under control. For residents, the only thing to do is wait and hope.
