Wildfires raging in the Florida Panhandle have forced nearly 500 people to evacuate from their homes, authorities said.
One wildfire that broke out Monday afternoon in Santa Rosa County has been named the Five Mile Swamp fire as high winds and low humidity caused the blaze to expand 10 times in size, the Florida Forest Service said in a statement.
The fire started as a prescribed burn but quickly grew out of control, according to The Tampa Bay Times.
Firefighters are also battling another 575-acre fire in Walton county. Authorities said approximately 500 people were evacuated from the area and multiple structures were lost in that fire.
The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. for several counties including Palm Beach County.
READ MORE: The latest South Florida WPTV First Alert forecast
