Brush fires starting to grow; Crist declares emergency (Florida fires growing- evacuations ordered)

Orlando Sentinel ^ | 12 May 2008

[SE Mom]

Firefighters are starting to have some problems this afternoon with area brushfires, especially in Brevard County. Two Palm Bay schools have been evacuated, and a fire near Malabar is drawing a lot of concern. Follow the updates on our Breaking News blog.

[SE Mom]

BREAKING NEWS: Towering flames shooting 70 feet in the air tore toward Bayside High School, Monday afternoon, as officials scrambled to get students out of the threatened building. Meanwhile, Governor Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency for Brevard and Volusia Counties

http://www.wftv.com/index.html

[SE Mom]

This is getting a little out of hand...

[SE Mom]

assorted links:

http://www.wftv.com/index.html

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/breaking_news/brevard/index.html

[Fox_Mulder77]

Sheesh!!!
I can’t take my daughter outside to play because of the smoke. And I’m not near the fires, I’m in Palm Beach county!!!

[SE Mom]

Yep- the wind is pretty active- humidity is low- no rain is expected for days..

[tatsinfla]

i live in volusia county only a few miles from the 1000 acre fire burning....the interesting thing that you do not here to much about is that some of these fires began as controlled burns....no mind you, we have had no rain in awhile and temps in the low to mid 90’s and strong winds.....now i ask, whose bright idea in charge was it to have controlled burns under these conditions...??...

[Fox_Mulder77]

Is it arson?!?

[fightinJAG]

Where is Bayside HS?

[John123]

now i ask, whose bright idea in charge was it to have controlled burns under these conditions...??...

The gov-mint?

[Fox_Mulder77]

Thanx for the info. Fox News is calling the cause of the fires accidental.......... but no mention of the ill advised controlled burns in uncontrollable conditions.

[SE Mom]

Some is arson- some may have been result of controlled burns.

You’re getting the smoke down your way - we’re not getting it here yet- til the wind changes.

[tatsinfla]

news 13 did report early this morning that some were due to controlled burns that got out of control....this happened about a month ago also if i remember correctly in brevard county....now i guess if fox is saying accidental that could be partially true since i am sure when they started the controled burns they did not mean for them to get out of control...therefore i guess you can say they are accidental....

[Pyro7480]

You can have some of the rain we’ve been having in the DC! We’ve had way too much.

[SE Mom]

Bayside HS is in Palm Bay Fl.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/breaking_news/brevard/index.html

Florida fires: I-95 closed again in Brevard
Posted on May 12, 2008 4:02:58 PM
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The brush fires in Brevard have closed a section of I-95 from mile marker 166 to mile marker 173 in Malabar.

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Filed under: Brevard, Florida fires Florida fires: Crist declares state of emergency
Posted on May 12, 2008 3:30:37 PM
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Gov. Charlie Crist has declared a state of emergency for the state because “the ongoing danger of wildfires threatens the State of Florida with a major disaster.” Read a PDF of the order:

Download crist-state-of-emergency.pdf

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Filed under: Brevard, Daytona Beach, Florida fires Part of U.S. 1 closed in Brevard County
Posted on May 12, 2008 3:15:09 PM
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This just in from Sentinel Staff writer Gary Taylor:

A large brush fire in the area of Valkaria in Brevard County has forced the closure of U.S. Highway 1 between Valkaria and North Rocky roads as well as Valkaria Road between U.S. 1 and Babcock Road.

U.S. 1 is closed in both directions because of fire conditions and emergency equipment in the area, Brevard County Sheriff’s Sgt. Linda Moros said. Valkaria Road is closed because of dense smoke in the area that makes travel hazardous, she said.

Some residents may be allowed to travel through the area to reach their homes, but each person’s situation will be considered.

[SE Mom]

Bayside High School and Westside Elementary School have been evacuated in Palm Bay. The high school students have been bussed to a Publix on Bayside Lake Boulevard. U.S. 1 and S.R. 524 in Brevard County are shut down. I-95 is closed between Malabar and Grant roads.

http://www.cfnews13.com/

[Red Badger]

My mother in law lives in Palm BAy!.................

[SE Mom]

I’m sure she’s keeping her eye on the local TV coverage..it’s all over the news.

Let us know if you get any reports from her..

[Red Badger]

Where are the fires, exactly?????...........

[SE Mom]

See the link in post 15- you can go there and get maps etc.

[LukeL]

I always wondered how they can figure out if it was arson instead of someones tailpipe igniting some brush.