At least two homes have been destroyed and 12 more have been damaged as firefighters battle a 1,400-acre blaze in Bay County, Florida.
The Adkins Avenue Fire continued to rage on Saturday morning – nearly 24 hours after it is believed to have started by a local resident burning trash in their backyard.
Bay County Sheriff Tom Ford said at a news conference on Friday that the small fire quickly got out of control and spread rapidly through the area.
Around 600 homes were forced to evacuate and Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in the Bay County on Friday night.
An emergency ban was also issued on people burning trash as the blaze reached 1,000 acres and the Florida National Guard was activated to the area.
No injuries or deaths have so far been reported from the wildfire.
Bay County Florida Emergency Services said on Saturday morning that the evacuation order remained in place and that people should not try to return to their homes due to the “dangerous fire”.
The blaze grew even larger through the night, reaching 1,400 acres and it remained just 30 per cent contained after around 200 firefighters from Bay County and throughout the Panhandle worked through the night.
Florida Forest Service said that 70 firefighters were operating dozers, tractors, engines and other heavy equipment as part of their efforts to try to bring it under control.
Officials said that efforts to contain the wildfire have been hampered by the damage and debris left in the area from Hurricane Michael back in 2018.
Emergency Services Chief Brad Monroe said on Friday that this had created more “dangerous situations” for emergency responders.
“We have some dangerous situations out there with trees that are hanging on,” he said.
“We want to be careful to not put our people in those situations where the wind may blow down one of the rotted trees that are standing.
“We have in many areas some very tall trees that are still standing that we’re worried about.”
An emergency shelter was set up in Hiland Park Baptist Church for residents who were forced to flee their homes.
Around 175,000 residents live in Bay County and it is also home to the major tourist hotspot Panama City which welcomes thousands of holiday makers every year.
