Neighbors react to Brush fire near Lehigh Acres homes

The wind can cause more problems for us than we think. Small fires can quickly grow out of control when the wind fuels them into large brushfires.

Charred remains now lay in front of a Lehigh Acres community.

“Somebody knocked at the door,” said one anonymous neighbor. “It was, oh man. Scary.”

Neighbors between June Avenue North and 47th Street West say Tuesday’s scene was something they’ve never seen before and hope to never see again.

“So when I come out with the fire, I said, ‘My God, What can I do?'” said the neighbor. “I bring the water hose quick, and I spray everything in case, and I put the car key in my pocket if I have to move quick.”

Luckily, the fire was controlled, and neighbors, along with their homes, were okay.

But as Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue explains, the scene could have been much worse.

Firefighters said the fire began at one acre near several homes and then grew another quarter of an acre behind two houses.

“It was somebody burning debris in their backyard, and then went out of control,” said Javier Bermudez, a Lehigh firefighter. “It was very windy yesterday. It’s a little bit dry.”

Windy conditions can be a recipe for disaster, which is why Lehigh firefighters recommend that you never leave an outdoor burn pile unattended.

“Anytime that you’re burning outside, you should be close to the fire,” said Bermudez. “You should be close; you should have some way of turning off the fire if it gets out of control. Always have a hose, a bucket of water, something.”

The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue wants to remind you the Florida Department of Agriculture has laws about where and what you can and can’t burn, which can be found here.