Brush fire burns nearly 2 acres in Cape Coral preserve amid dry conditions

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

A brush fire burned nearly two acres of a private nature preserve off Burnt Store Road on Tuesday afternoon, as dry conditions continue to fuel wildfire concerns across Southwest Florida.

A Cape Coral fire battalion chief first spotted the blaze while driving along the roadway.

"I was actually driving up Burnt Store Road, going to visit one of our stations, when I noticed a column of smoke coming up," said Battalion Chief Nick Bonnici, of the Cape Coral Fire Department. "One of our training battalions happened to be separately on the road ahead of me. He also got on the radio, noticed the column and said that he was going to be investigating."

Fire officials escorted media to the area where they believe the fire started, showing damage left behind in the preserve. Officials said flames spread across nearly two acres before crews brought the fire under control within about 30 minutes.

Bonnici said brush fire calls have increased since the start of drought season.

"It’s been increasing. I don’t have an exact number on how many calls, but obviously it is very dry, as the news has been reporting," he said. "We are under a burn ban, so please remember to abide by all the burn ban rules. It is very dry out."

The Florida Forest Service also reports a rise in wildfire activity early this year.

Jesse Lavender with the agency said that since Jan. 1, crews have responded to 31 wildfires across Lee, Hendry and Collier counties. Statewide, there have been 907 wildfires so far this year.

"It is very dry. We’ve had several freezes, which doesn’t help the fuels that are in our area," Lavender said. "We really all need to take this season seriously."

Officials emphasized that dry vegetation combined with high winds can cause fires to spread rapidly. They urge residents to follow all burn ban restrictions and use caution with anything flammable.

Anyone who sees signs of a possible fire is asked to call 911 immediately.

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