Helicopters battle 300-acre wildfire forcing Bear Island evacuation

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. (WINK) — The Collier County Sheriff's Office told visitors to evacuate Bear Island as soon as possible around 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

According to Wildfire.gov, the fire is now 300 acres. That's nearly half of a square mile covered in flames. Officials say there are two helicopters assigned to the fire. However, since the fire is so new, the level of containment isn't clear.

The fire prompted evacuations at Bear Island campgrounds and nearby camping sites. Officials with Big Cypress Federal Land could not confirm if anyone was at those campgrounds at the time or if there were any injuries.

As of 9 p.m. Friday night, Wildfire.gov is reporting the fire is 0% contained. It's unknown if anyone has been hurt since the fire began spreading.

WINK News reporter Paul Dolan is on State Road 29 in Collier County near Miles City monitoring the situation. An update is expected this morning, which should reveal if the fire has spread any further and if crews have contained it at all.

All lanes of I-75 near Alligator Alley are currently open. Big Cypress Federal Land officials said they should have an update on the fire's status Saturday morning.

Stay tuned to WINKNews.com, WINK News App, streaming, and on-air for any new developments on this story.