- Three wildfires are burning in Apalachicola National Forest.
- The U.S. Forest Service said lighting started the fires.
- One of the fires is burning near the Juvenile Youth Development/Wilderness Crossroads Camp in the Apalachicola Ranger District.
WTXL
U.S. FOREST SERVICE UPDATE:
USFS is managing three wildfires on the Apalachicola National Forest, sparked by recent lightning storms. One of the fires, "Old 97" was ignited Aug. 15. Two new fires were ignited Aug. 18, and slowly developed over the weekend into two separate wildfires: the “Rock Pond” and “112" Fires.
On Aug. 23, the joint fire team transitioned to a Type 3 fire organization. Burn-out operations begin today (Aug. 24) to help manage each fire.
No fire-related injuries reported to USFS at this time.
No road detours or recreation closures in place for these fires. Current wind conditions favor fire management efforts and potential smoke hazards remain minimal.
The acreage of each wildfire (as of Wed. evening) is:
• Rock Pond Fire: 206 acres
• 112 Fire: 353 acres
• Old 97: 802 acres
The wildfire areas are not occupied, however, 109 people (staff and students) reside at the neighboring “Juvenile Youth Development/Wilderness Crossroads Camp” in the Apalachicola Ranger District.
TODAY'S PLAN: Firefighters are planning to conduct "Burn-out" operations today (Aug. 24) of approx. 250-500 acres on Forest Service Road 141, north of the youth camp.
The Incident Management Team (IMT) is closely monitoring the situation and preparing for possible action if circumstances change, requiring immediate evacuation of the Camp residents.
If you see smoke or a wildfire, call 911 and report the location. Together, we protect and preserve our forests for all to enjoy safely.
For more info, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/florida/fire
