(provided by Timber Weller, Division of Forestry)
BRUSH FIRE NEAR LAKE HARNEY WOODS
May 12, 2009
10 a.m.
Contacts:
Timber Weller, Division of Forestry
(386) 503-7351
Shelley Szafraniec, Volusia County Fire Services
(386) 804-2195
Editor's note: All releases are being posted on www.volusia.org.
A little bit of rain late Monday afternoon was welcomed by fire crews
working the 3,000-acre fire threatening the Lake Harney Woods
subdivision in southern Volusia County. Division of Forestry crews
worked through the night to plow lines around the growing fire. The fire
extends from S.R. 46 (to the south east of Lake Harney Woods
subdivision), has run through the east end of the subdivision (heading
northwest), and extends to Lake Harney Road (off of Maytown-Osteen Road)
in Volusia County.
There are approximately 200 to 220 homes in the Lake Harney Woods
subdivision. Firefighters are providing structural protection to
approximately two dozen structures (homes, barns, sheds, etc.) on the
east end and another six structures on the north end of the subdivision.
There are no mandatory evacuations or road closures at this time.
Motorists along S.R. 415, S.R. 44 and S.R. 46 and surrounding areas are
advised to drive with caution due to smoke in the area.
Telephone notification system
Citizens are reminded that Volusia County has a telephone notification
system for alerting citizens of emergencies (such as an evacuation).
This system uses phone numbers entered into a database. Citizens are
encouraged to sign up for the notification system online at
www.volusia.org (click on Emergency Management) to find the
instructions. In addition to home phone numbers, citizens are encouraged
to include cell phone numbers. For citizens who do not have Internet
access, please call Volusia County Emergency Management at (386)
254-1500 to sign up.
Working Tuesday are the following public safety personnel:
Division of Forestry (DOF)
● Eleven dozers, two brush trucks, two helicopters, a fixed-wing
aircraft, and a task force from the Panhandle comprised of two heavy
dozers, two medium dozers and a brush truck. The Division of Forestry
has requested an additional strike team of five brush trucks and a
strike team of five medium dozers. These two strike teams are expected
to arrive by Tuesday evening.
● Members of the DOF Interagency Incident Management Blue Team
arrived Monday night from throughout the state to assume oversight in a
unified command with Volusia County Fire Services and DOF.
Volusia County Fire Services
● Three tenders (water carriers), three brush attack trucks and
members of Fire Walker team. (Fire Walkers represent a specialized team
of career and volunteer personnel who have advanced training in fire
behavior, strategy and tactics, incident management system positions and
safety specific to wildland fires.)
Additional agencies assisting the Lake Harney Woods area fire are:
● A helicopter from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Commission
● Two heavy dozers from Volusia County Road and Bridge
● St. Johns Water Management District
● Volusia County and Florida Division of Emergency Management
● Volusia County Land Acquisition and Management
● Volusia County Property Appraiser's Office
● Volusia County Fleet Management
● Volusia County Sheriff's Office
● EVAC Ambulance
● Miami Corps (the fire extends to their property on the east side
of the fire)
For more information on fire safety, please visit the DOF web site at
www.fl-dof.com.
-30-
Vickie Pleus, APR
Community Information Manager
Volusia County Government
123 W. Indiana Avenue, Room 301
DeLand, FL 32720
Phone: 386-822-5062 ext. 2689
Fax: 386-822-5072
On the Web: www.volusia.org