Brevard County fire rescue crews continue to monitor the site of a brush fire that forced the evacuation of at least eight homes in Micco on Thursday, Aug. 21, after thunderstorms rumbled through the area.
Lighting was believed to have sparked the fast-moving fire, which broke out about 5 p.m. in the area south of Micco Road and east of Fleming Grant Road near the Florida Power & Light solar farm. The fire quickly spread to 15 acres.
As of Friday morning, crews had battled one flare-up that was contained, said Brevard County Fire Rescue Spokesman Don Walker.
“Fire crews will continue to mop up and continue to monitor overnight,” Walker said. “Additional crews will be out in the morning to continue monitoring.”
No structures were damaged, and no injuries reported in the affected area, a mobile home community.
Fires reported after heavy thunderstorms
The fires were reported as thunderstorms packed with heavy lightning moved through southern Brevard County. Brevard County firefighters quickly responded in Micco, tackling the brush fires along Cherish and Overlook drives
A thick haze settled over the neighborhood during the blaze, mixing with the drizzling rain and falling ash.
Residents in the Tamarinds Avenue area and smaller streets south had the option to leave the area. The county opened respite centers at the South Mainland Community Center and Barefoot Bay for residents who did not feel safe. Those shelters were closed by 9 p.m., with residents returning to their homes.
J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Or X, formerly known as Twitter: @JDGallop.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard Fire Rescue monitors situation after brush fire which forced evacuations in Micco
Reporting by J.D. Gallop, Florida Today / Florida Today
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