Alachua County issued a state of emergency as multiple wildfires remain active close to Gainesville, allowing additional funds to continually staff all brush trucks and water tankers while also raising awareness.
The state of emergency started at 2 p.m. on Monday. The decision comes after Gainesville Fire Rescue, Alachua County Fire Rescue and Florida Forest Service responded to two wildfires in northern Gainesville that threatened structures and forced evacuations.
The state of emergency also allows Alachua County to open its emergency operations center, like that used during hurricanes, as soon as needed, along with shelters if fires continue to prompt evacuations.
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The N. Main Street fire number two is at 106 acres and 25% contained. Ludie Bond with the Florida Forest Service said new activity continues on the southern side of the fire, but she said the containment lines have held so far. She noted that the fire pattern has been extremely erratic, and the wildfire jumped from the west to the east side of Main Street.
The State Road 121 wildfire number 2 has held at around 25 acres and is 60% contained.
The Town of Lacrosse Fire Department assisted with the State Road 121 wildfire.
Bond said the State Road 26 fire, northeast of the Gainesville Regional Airport, is 306 acres, 65% contained and continues to be monitored. She said firefighters saw concerning explosive fire behavior that fire—and others. That behavior is directly connected to the extreme drought, and Bond said the behavior was expected but remains tough to deal with, requiring short- and long-range spotting to detect fire startups from embers off the main wildfire.
She said the drought is expected through July and that residents could expect at least 10 more weeks of drought conditions and wildfire risk. The Floridan aquifer fell below the 20th percentile last month, the lowest since 2011.
Bond said there’s been no lightning, so fires are coming from other sources, like people. She stressed that people should be concerned with any outdoor activity. All open, outdoor fires are prohibited.
There’s been no loss of life or residences from the fires so far.
The following roadways remain closed:
N. Main Street between 39th Avenue and 53rd Avenue remains closed.
State Road 121 between US 441 and 77th Avenue is open to local traffic only.
State Road 121 remains closed between 77th Avenue and County Road 231.
Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR) Chief Joseph Hillhouse said firefighters are using the hydrant system where wildfires get close to residences to push the fire back. He said the situation isn’t where neighborhoods get consumed and abandoned.
Hillhouse said having that continual source of water from hydrants allows them to alter an unchecked fire.
Alachua County Fire Rescue Chief Herold Theus said the county is used to dealing with fires without the hydrant system. He said the county has maintained the containment lines bulldozed by the Florida Forest Service, ensuring the fire can’t jump over the line to ignite the other side.
He said the brush trucks would be staffed up at all fire stations along with the normal fire engines. He said both would be able to deploy as needed.
Theus reiterated Bond’s point on residents being cautious with outdoor activities. He noted that the county’s burn ban has continued since Nov. 17—the longest in his memory. The last time the county even had a burn ban was 2021.