Brush fire 100% contained at 165 acres in Golden Gate Estates

Greater Naples Fire Rescue District responded with assistance to a large brush fire in the area of Golden Gate Estates Friday. Florida Forest Service named it the “Pioneer Trail fire.”

According to Florida Forest Service, fire crews 100% contained the brush fire at 165 acres in a heavily-wooded area.

At one point, Forestry estimated the fire to have reached 300 acres, but it confirmed the fire did not reach that large of a spread.

Update: Pioneer Trail fire – 100% contained at 165 acres. #wildfire #CollierCounty @FLForestService @GN_Fire pic.twitter.com/GazWGqH1ye

— FFS Caloosahatchee (@FFS_cafc) May 22, 2021

There were high winds and heavy fuel moving to the west-southwest, and smoke was in the area of Alligator Alley near Golden Gate Estates earlier in the evening.

There were structures in the area of Frangipani Avenue that were in danger, and crews were nearby protecting them.

We were told one structure is threatened, and crews have a line around it for protection.

There were no reported evacuations to anyone in the area.

Neighbors we spoke to packed up just in case there was a definitive need to evacuate. They told us their lives were more important than their property.

We spoke to Steven Hackney, who saw crews nearby his home for hours. There were still flames and smoke in many spots, but his house was safe at the time.

“The next thing I know, I got 56-foot flames coming down the side of my property, flames coming down the other side of my property down the west side,” Hackney said. “We opened all our gates, had to keep our sheep at bay, so the sheriff’s department let everyone in with their equipment.”

Other neighbors watched flames inch closer to their belongings, as crews battled the brush fire in Golden Gate Estates

“We’ve seen some bad fires out here,” Jeff Sykes said. “A lot of people lost homes a year or so ago. I wouldn’t want to see that again.”

Hackney is thankful firefighters got to his property quick enough to protect it from the fire

“It burned down our fence and some of our real nice oak trees and things like that,” Hackney said.

But Hackney said he and his wife were safe, and he along with other neighbors hoped crews would ensure the fire was completely out so it would not spread anywhere else.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.