Brush fires force home evacuations in Florida
MALABAR, Fla. (AP) -- Brush fires forced residents to flee more than 100 homes in central Florida on Saturday and closed a major interstate, authorities said.
A fire near Cocoa had burned more than 100 acres and forced evacuations of about 100 to 200 homes, Brevard County Fire and Rescue spokesman Orlando Dominguez said.
Heavy smoke from another fire in the Brevard community of Malabar forced authorities to close part of Interstate 95, the major East Coast corridor.
A fire in Volusia County has burned between 500 and 600 acres and caused more road closures and home evacuations, state Division of Forestry spokesman Timber Weller said.
Weller wasn't sure how many residents had been forced out of that neighborhood, which is near Daytona Beach. He said 20-mph winds and dry conditions were challenging the fire crews.
"Control is extremely difficult, and there's basically several small subdivisions in the area and fires burning, in some cases, very close to the homes," Weller said.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
