A fast-moving fire in North Fort Myers has been contained after it erupted just before 6 p.m. tonight. Authorities say the blaze started from an illegal burn and quickly spread due to dry conditions and high winds.
Resident Bill Robbins, who lives on Bogart Drive, said he and his wife were outside when they heard a neighbor yelling for help. Seeing smoke, Robbins tried to control the flames with a hose while his daughter called 911. Despite their efforts, the fire spread rapidly.
Robbins said a travel trailer on the property exploded due to a propane tank, sending flames into a nearby tree. The wind carried the fire through at least half an acre of brush, reaching toward the Gateway area.
Thick smoke was visible from the Caloosahatchee Bridge. Fire departments from North Fort Myers, Bayshore, and Cape Coral responded, along with the Florida Forest Service, which brought in a tractor to clear brush and allow access to the fire zone.
Battalion Chief Mark Western confirmed the fire began as an illegal burn. The property owner was burning vegetation in a barrel when the fire escaped into nearby brush. Western emphasized that with recent red flag warnings in effect, no burning should have been happening at all.
Although a trailer was destroyed, no one was injured and no homes were damaged. Western reminded residents that only cooking on grills is currently allowed—no pit fires or open burns are permitted under fire safety regulations.