Massive Iron Horse fire is now 100 percent contained
Massive Iron Horse fire is now 100 percent contained
07 March 2011
published by www.floridatoday.com
USA — The battle to contain a massive wildfire that erupted Monday in North Brevard and southern Volusia County has reached a major milestone: The fire is 100 percent contained.
“We sent in five brush trucks and a tanker this morning, and were continuing to do mop-up operations,” said Jeff Taylor, Brevard County Fire-Rescue spokesman. “Everything we saw yesterday was smoldering patches deep in the black, and there was nothing burning near the perimeter of the fire.”
A Division of Forestry firefighter was hospitalized Saturday, suffering second-degree steam burns to his forehead and an ear, becoming the second firefighter injured in the fire. Division of Forestry public information officer Annaleasa Winter described his injuries as minor. A volunteer firefighter from Mims was injured on Tuesday.
The fire burned more than 16,800 acres of largely uninhabited area in northern Brevard and southern Volusia counties since Monday.
Despite the large area the fire consumed, structural damage was limited. Winter said the fire destroyed one mobile home and three small outbuilding structures in Brevard County, as well of two hunting cabins in Volusia County.
Smoke and flames resulted in periodic closing of sections of Interstate 95 and U.S. 1.
Winter said the Florida Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement is continuing to investigate to cause of the fire, which began Monday in southern Volusia County, near the Brevard County line.
Brevard County Fire-Rescue Division Chief Fred Jodts said the rains received Friday helped in containing the fire.
Jodts said closing the command center, and releasing unneeded staff and equipment, allows his department to begin returning to normal operations, including deploying them to their normal stations.
Taylor said fighting the Iron Horse fire “has been a tough battle, with shifting wind and high wind gusts.”
In all, there were 219 firefighters, 46 engines, 34 dozers and two helicopters from a number of Florida agencies at the fire scene Saturday.
The Iron Horse Fire Command Post in the Volusia County community of Oak Hill remains open.
