Flames 80 percent contained in Collier brush fire

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NAPLES, Fla. A brush fire that scorched approximately 7,230 acres is 80 percent contained, the Florida Forest Service said.

The blaze began March 5 in the Picayune Strand State Forest. It caused mandatory evacuations for certain areas of Collier County and road closures for portions of Collier Boulevard, Beck Boulevard and Interstate 75.

Crews are still working to extinguish the flames of the massive wildfire.

Roughly a tenth of an inch of rain has fallen on the blaze, but firefighter Ed Vuolo stressed the need for more.

“Any rainfall is a welcome change to the dry conditions that Naples has experienced. But additional rainfall is needed to alleviate dry conditions and extinguish the fire,” he said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to officials, who’ve ruled out lightning and a prescribed burn as potential triggers.

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