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Subscribe to RSSTwo large brush fires prompted evacuation orders for people in 300 homes near Ormond Beach, Fla. NBC's Lester Holt reports.
A fast-moving brush fire forced the shutdown of Interstate 95 and the evacuation of 300 homes in Ormond Beach in central Florida on Saturday, fire officials said.
By Saturday night, the blaze was 75 percent contained, and evacuation orders were lifted for all but 50 homes, Pat Kuehm of Volusia County Fire Services told NBC News.
The blaze started Saturday morning in Flagler County and the wind pushed the flames into Volusia County and the city limits of Ormond Beach, Kuehm said.
I-95 was reopened but traffic was very slow because of long backups, NBC station WESH of Orlando reported.
Smoke from the fire blanketed the Ormond Beach area and forced the Florida Highway Patrol to shut down a three-mile stretch of Interstate 95 for a while, NBC station WESH of Orlando reported. I-95 was reopened but traffic was very slow because of long backups, WESH said.
It was unclear how the fire began. It started about four miles west of the Ormond Beach Airport, WESH reported. Ormond Beach is on the central Atlantic coast north of Daytona Beach.
About 100 firefighters battled the flames and by Saturday evening no homes had been burned. At least 10 bulldozers were digging containment lines and two helicopters were dropping water, WESH said.
High temperatures in the area Sunday were expected to be in the high 50s with winds around 15 mph.
NBC News' Michelle Acevedo and Gil Aegerter contributed to this report.
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I will pray that jesus wakes up and gets on the ball. Hail Mary, mother of god, help these sinners....
He couldn't find his ass with both hands and a funnel.
Ernie, May your god strike twice this week and open up a hole under your bed and suck your dimwit ass into the history books.
A/noon Ernie..May I suggest that you remember your own words if you are ever confronted with a bushfire...see what you say when a 100 metre wall of flame is bearing down on you. Bushfires have nothing to do with Jesus, God, Mary or anyone/thing else. It is nature at her worst and it needs to be respected as such. We live with bushfires every summer here in Australia as you do and the damage to lives, property and wild life is devastating. I resent you calling people you do not have a bloody clue about as "sinners" The only "sinner" here in my eyes is yourself and your pathetic comment.
Does your "god" accept "resentment?"
Right on, Dude!
Sure they do. Jesus is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent so he/she can do anything to prevent fires. Jesus is punishing the sinners just like he did in the bible with the plagues, the 40 days and nights of torrential downpours, etc. He has to punish people to show how loving he can be.
This happens every year in Florida, it a natural deal and I have seen it for 25 years............
I've seen it for 56 years.
Love the smell of summertime muck fires.. Blue Lights of Chuluota.. Camping along the Econ river...
Fishing the St.Johns... Rain and sunshine at the same time... good times.
Redfishing on Mosquito Lagoon in the morning shrimping at night. Thanks Dave for making me remember that......
It's a shame you left, we are starting to "blow up" again. From my perspective we are doing real well.
Just be careful where you buy a house... One can never tell...
Amen shona1 for your comment to Ernie. As a regular yearly vacationer in Florida for spring break that is in three weeks I really wonder if I will be going this year. There is snow on the ground here in Illinois in early March, what the blank? And high's for Florida in this area where the fire is located in the 50's??? If it doesn't change soon, I will not be going because if it is not 80F for swimming and no jackets, forget it. Even Miami is like 60F. The weather is really wierd and it feels more like January instead of early March. If there is some God, I hope he warms the Earth soon here in the states and stops all of the snow and cold temperatures. Please make it feel like spring and make the grass green and tulips pop out from under the soil. On a good note, I did see one Robin bird yesterday which is suppose to be a sign of spring, I think.
It's supposed to be 81 by Tuesday. This weekend's weather means nothing to next week's. I'm sure it will be warm! My bulbs have already come up...I get to cover them and hope they still open up after this cold snap. Such is life...our weather is not at all consistent.
Mom.
Massive cold fronts that sweep the northern states sometimes go as far south as Miami. Keep in mind that a sudden 30 degree drop in temperature that starts at 80 degrees is not nearly as severe as one that starts at 30.
I've lived on the Florida Gulf coast for over 40 years. Seems this has been an unusually long winter. If this trend continues, I may start going south for the winter. Y'all can make your own beds and cook your own meals when you visit the Sunshine State during winter. Maybe I'll see you in Panama.
Please do not pray for the Earth to be warmer. In August and September you will change your mind. Weather has natural cycles, and some years we find these cycles more difficult to endure. You are free to move whenever, wherever you like. Most folks on the planet do not have the freedom or the means that we in the USA have .
Ill Mom,
D'oh! It's still winter, even in Flordia. I live 25 miles south of this fire. It was most likely started by arson. Our weather in the next couple of days will be back in the high 70's. I bet you will be the same broad, bitching and freaking out when in 5 months the temperature could get up to 105 in Montana. But even that to shall pass because in 10 months it's gonna be -35F with 5 feet of snow in Montana.
Good grief! Get a grip women!
Please don't come - the place is crawling with snowbirds this year, more than we've had in about 5 years. They clog up our roads, grocery stores, beachers, everywhere - and they are rude, rude, rude.
You do know there is no state tax mainly because of tourism, right Maggie?
gawd would the media quit spreading fire stories and stick to the gun stories.
when fire is outlawed, only outlaws will have fire!
Luckily there has only been the one shooting this weekend - the 72 y.o. in Chicago. Those anti-gun parades are working.
we had one yesterday in south texas, evacuated probably 200 - 300 homes, RV's/Trailers, closed roadways, 10 departments involved in fighting it, and didn't even make state news.
Between the sink holes, wild fire, hurricanes, tornado's, the wacky Baker transplants of Clermont are a good riddance from my area. Sorry true Floridians, watch out for a wacko's road rage who wears her make up thicker than Tammy Fay.