State firefighting crews to monitor brush fires over weekend

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — The smell of smoke Friday seemed stronger than the night before.

Brush along Luck Lane and behind homes along Southeast Bella Road in Port St. Lucie is visibly charred.

State wildland firefighters have been patrolling, monitoring and mopping up after a 70-acre wildfire burned through the Southbend neighborhood, Florida Forest Service officials said.

“We will have additional crews on scene this weekend, and we’ll also have additional crews on stand-by for any new ignitions,” said Melissa Yunas, spokeswoman for the Florida Forest Service. "You’re going to see firefighting resources out there every single day to make sure that these fires are within the containment lines made by the firefighting bulldozers."

More: We prepare for hurricanes, but we also need to be ready for wildfires | Maureen Kenyon

She said they'll be making sure all hot spots are saturated and dug up to get water "down deep into the soil.”

Crews Friday were searching the land near Southeast Bella Road and in Southeast Mint Court for hot spots producing smoke or that feel hot to the touch, and dousing them with water, she said.

Firefighters were traveling along the containment line looking for potential breaks and bulldozing any smoldering vegetation.

A few areas rekindled throughout Friday, but were extinguished before containment lines were threatened, the Forest Service reported Friday afternoon.

By then, firefighters had been there almost 24 hours.

Port St. Lucie police evacuated people Thursday evening from 40 homes that backed up to the woodland area; they were allowed to return to their homes about 9:30 p.m.

The flames were fully contained at about 10 p.m., as fire trucks, a Red Cross vehicle, an ambulance and several news crews crowded the street in the 2900 block of Southeast Bella Road.

The air was smoky but the pungent smell of smoke was more overpowering.

Emergency vehicles patrolled the street until about 11 p.m.; the sound of fire crews in the brush near Florida's Turnpike continued overnight.

A 14-mile stretch of Florida's Turnpike reopened about 6 a.m. Friday after smoke from the fire shut down all north and southbound lanes about 12 hours earlier.

The highway was closed between Becker and Okeechobee roads as heavy smoke filled the air, limiting visibility.

The blaze began small, but quickly grew because of dry and windy conditions.

More: Port St. Lucie wildfire: Evacuations lifted after 50-acre brush fire shut down Turnpike

The blaze, dubbed the Luck Wildfire, was named after the road firefighters used to get to the fire.

That way, "the next state wildland firefighter knows where to go and gain access," Yunas said in an email.

More: Wildfire flare-ups still possible on Treasure Coast

Resources Used

St. Lucie County Fire District: 7 brush trucks, 3 engines, 1 water tender

Martin County Fire Rescue: 2 engines, 2 brush trucks, 1 water tanker

Florida Forest Service: 7 firefighter bulldozers, 1-Type 6 engine, 1-fixed wing reconnaissance pilot

Flare-ups possible

Thursday's brush fire came after two major blazes engulfed more than 500 acres combined in St. Lucie and Indian River counties last week.

With persistent dry conditions, the areas continuously threaten to rekindle.

More: PSL, Fellsmere wildfires fully contained; FPL working to restore power lines

A 381-acre wildfire in Fellsmere, west of Interstate 95, temporarily shut down the highway March 21. Though the blaze remains 100 percent contained, the possibility of a flare-up always lingers, Yunas said.

"We went out (Wednesday) with Indian River Fire Rescue and put 300 gallons of water on it because they found hot spots," she said.

The day before, they dumped 700 gallons.

"That one could easily flare up," Yunas said.

A 15-acre fire prompted firefighters to knock on doors March 23 near the south St. Lucie County border, asking people to evacuate. This came just as a 204-acre blaze finally was contained off Becker Road after crews battled it for two days.

Crews dumped water and dirt on areas that began smoking on the east side of the area Wednesday. The fire rekindled Friday about noon, but was quickly contained.

Easter weekend could bring an increased threat of fire for dry land as families host outdoor activities and children play in wooded areas, Yunas said.

"This weekend is one of the times where we are on heightened alert," she said.

Little rain has accumulated on the Treasure Coast this month, making conditions more dire.

A little more than one fourth of an inch has fallen on Vero Beach since March 1 and only 1.39 inches have fallen on Fort Pierce, according to the National Weather Service.

More: St. Lucie, Indian River wildfires fully contained; high chance of rekindling

Fire danger risks were forecast to be "very high" in Indian River and Martin counties Friday, according to the Forest Service. St. Lucie County was expected to see a "high" risk of fire danger.

Staff writers Maureen Kenyon and Sara Marino contributed to this report.