As wildfires rage across Florida, the Tallahassee Fire Department fought residential house fires on two fronts on Tuesday to ensure they couldn’t spread.
As of 5:51 p.m., the Tallahassee Police Department had blocked Centerville Road and Betton Road to Centerville Road and Woodgate Way due to a the blaze in the 1700 block of Centerville Road.
“Drivers are asked to avoid the area and seek alternate routes while emergency personnel are on scene,” TPD wrote in an incident alert.
The fire ignited in a garage and there were no injuries, according to a TPD watch commander.
“The fire is under control now,” she told the Democrat at about 6 p.m.
Earlier, the Tallahassee Fire Department also responded to a residential structure fire on Aenon Church Road.
The residential blazes come as the Big Bend region and much of Florida grapple with extreme fire weather and tinderbox conditions that have ignited wildfires around the state. Leon County is currently under a burn ban and the Big Bend is locked in the worst “exceptional drought” in decades.
At approximately 10:50 a.m. on April 21, TFD was dispatched to Aenon Church Road after a passerby reported a mobile home already heavily involved in flames.
While en route, responding units observed a large column of dark smoke in the area.
Firefighters arrived on scene within minutes to find a double-wide mobile home fully engulfed in flames, due to the advanced fire conditions, crews quickly worked to put out the fire while protecting nearby structures.
A search confirmed that no occupants were inside the residence at the time, and crews were able to extinguish the fire in approximately one hour but the structure was considered a total loss.
TFD was assisted on scene by Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Leon County EMS and City of Tallahassee Utilities. The American Red Cross was contacted to provide assistance to the displaced residents.
With ongoing dry conditions and an elevated risk of fire danger, residents are reminded to avoid outdoor burning, keep vehicles off dry grass and properly dispose of smoking materials. Even small sparks can quickly spread, so use caution and never leave any cooking fires unattended. For fire safety tips, follow TFD on social media or visit Talgov.com/Fire.
Arianna Otero is the trending and breaking news reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com and follow her on X: @ari_v_otero.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee firefighters fight house fires on Centerville, Aenon Chuch