July 5, 1998 10:00 p.m.
Ron Waselewski
Community Information Specialist
More Rain Needed to Win Volusia's Wildfire War
Volusia County officials rescinded the last remaining mandatory evacuation order affecting its citizens on Sunday afternoon and welcomed scattered rain showers as headway continued to be made in the battle against wildfires that have plagued the County.
No structures were lost to the flames on Sunday. Flare-ups continued in Plantation Pines and Pierson, but were quickly brought under control. The thunderstorms also brought lightning that started a few fires which were rapidly extinguished or contained. Many other fires were in the mop-up phase. More rain is needed. A visiting firefighter from Ft. Lauderdale, driving a Volusia County Fire Services car, and a female Volusia County driver were injured in an automobile accident near the Kepler Road Fire Station in Deland, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Residents were allowed to return to their Hunter’s Ridge homes for the first time in four days as the mandatory evacuation order was lifted from the Ormond Beach-area subdivision. Firefighters were able to win the battle there, with no homes damaged or lost. The Volusia County Health Department advised that Hunter’s Ridge residents should boil their water for the next 24 to 48 hours.
State Division of Forestry personnel have been an important element in Volusia’s firefighting efforts, and Terry Moore, County Director of Public Protection Services, said, "We’re very appreciative of their working side-by-side with our people throughout this situation. We couldn’t have done it without them."
In other fire-related news:
SR 40 was closed, due to heavy smoke and low visibility, between Tymber Creek and SR11.
US 1 was opened from the Flagler County line through the length of Volusia County.
The Volusia County School Board cancelled summer school classes for Monday, July 6. Also cancelled were Parks & Recreation programs associated with the schools.
Nearly all power outages had been restored.
Approximately 500 evacuees remained in Volusia County shelters. More than half of the evacuees were from Flagler County.
1,650 people had volunteered more than 39,000 hours of time to Red Cross, Salvation Army and Volusia County volunteer programs during the fires.
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