A wildfire east of Gainesville Regional Airport along State Road 26 has grown to 400 acres, according to a release from the Florida Forest Service.
The Florida Forest Service–Waccasassa Forestry Center, Alachua County Fire Rescue and the Windsor Fire Department are on the scene in the Balu Forest on the north side of State Road 26. According to the release, the fire as of 9 p.m. was 30% contained and forward progression had been stopped.
The Forest Service initially reported that the blaze was 30-35 acres, but by 6:35 p.m. the fire had grown to 400 acres.
Airtankers (LATS) made six large drops of retardant on the fire to slow its progression.
No structures are currently threatened, but State Road 26 is closed to traffic from County Road 234 in Windsor to U.S. Highway 301 in Orange Heights due to the heavy response of firefighters and equipment. The public is urged to avoid the area.
Alachua County is currently under a mandatory countywide burn ban. Dry soils, stressed vegetation and elevated fire risk continue to create hazardous conditions, prompting officials to urge residents to use extreme caution and avoid all outdoor burning.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Crews battle 400-acre wildfire near Gainesville Regional Airport
Reporting by Staff report, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
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