CLAY COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 The massive Railroad Fire burning near the Clay\u2013Putnam County line continues to grow\u2014now spanning around 3,000 acres and only about 10% contained.<\/p>\n
The fire is the result of two wildfires\u2014the Crews Road Fire in Clay County and the Railroad Complex Fire in Putnam County\u2014merging into an \u201cunpredictable\u201d blaze, according to the Florida Forest Service.<\/p>\n
The burning acreage is a mix of wooded land and recently clear-cut land that has massive amounts of underbrush, which can feed fires.<\/p>\n
The fire started spotting on the west side of U.S. Highway 17 at Guthrie Road, prompting voluntary evacuations north of Bostwick for residents along Guthrie Road, Boogerville Road, Hunter Road and White Tail Trail. <\/p>\n
The Bostwick Community Center, located at 125 Tillman St. in Palatka, has been set up as a shelter for evacuees.<\/p>\n
Decoy Road in Clay County remains closed except to residents, and as of 7:30 a.m. West Tocoi Road and Eagle Creek were also closed due to low visibility.<\/p>\n
Two fires burning near the Clay\u2013Putnam County line have merged into the massive Railroad Fire (Jesse Hanson\/News4JAX photojournalist)<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, until we get a change in either the weather conditions or we get some rain, which doesn\u2019t seem likely, we have to keep those advisories in place to make sure we have comfortable areas for our trucks to get into and also for people not to be in danger,\u201d said Clay County Fire Rescue Chief Lorin Mock.<\/p>\n
Because of the fire\u2019s erratic behavior, officials are urging residents to prepare now for the possibility of mandatory evacuations, although those have not yet been ordered.<\/p>\n
They warn that if conditions worsen, those evacuations could become mandatory, and residents need to be prepared to move quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are going to want to make sure you keep your gas tanks no less than half full, your electric vehicles no less than half full. Because when we call for that evacuation,\u00a0it\u2019s not going to be time to go to the gas station, it\u2019s going to be time to get the heck out of dodge and move very quickly,\u201d said Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management. \u201cRight now, half is the new empty. If you are at half,\u00a0go ahead and fill that tank up so you are ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clay County Emergency Management (William Sandidge\/WJXT)<\/p>\n
The Jacksonville Equestrian Center has offered to take in animals needing to evacuate because of the fires for $25 a night to cover the cost of stripping the stalls and two bags of shavings.<\/p>\n
The Rodeheaver Boys Ranch is also offering a safe place for horses in their paddocks, according to the Putnam County Sheriff\u2019s Office<\/a>. For more information, contact Barn Manager Crystal at 386-336-3435.<\/p>\n 24\/7 resources <\/p>\n