April 19, 1999
TEXAS STRIKE TEAM RELIEVING CREWS IN LAKE HELEN
Holly Smith
Community Information SpecialistA Florida Division of Forestry Wildland Firefighting Task Team has gotten some relief in the form of manpower. An 11-person strike team from Texas began working Sunday on the stubborn Lake Helen fire.
"We’ll be rotating Florida teams in and out of areas," said Bill Scaramellino, Division of Forestry Volusia County supervisor. "Our team went back to Tallahassee for a few days, but the equipment remains here for the Texas team to use."
Monday crews from Volusia County Fire Services, Corrections, the Florida Division of Forestry and the Texas Division of Forestry spent the day finishing fire lines, suppressing hot spots and mopping up inside containment lines, according to Deputy Fire Chief Jim Mauney.
Firefighters have been keeping an eye out for flareups, said Mauney. There were still some active spots, but as of late Monday afternoon, these were not approaching established fire lines.
"As long as things keep going this way, these crews should be finished in the next couple of days at the most," said Scaramellino. "But if the flames rekindle and we have a break out, it will be a different story."
Over the next few days, weather conditions will be ripe for a reburn, Mauney said. This occurs when pine needles fall to the forest floor and are ignited by existing flames. Crews are working to suppress all open flames inside the containment line to diminish the possibility of another burn across the already scorched landscape.
The blaze, which broke out Monday about two and a half miles east of the Volusia County Fairgrounds, has consumed 735 acres. It is now contained and controlled, according to Volusia County Fire Services.
Comments or questions?
E-mail the
Copyright © 1999 Volusia County, Florida.