PALM CITY, Fla. — A 105-acre brush fire in Martin County is now contained after multiple agencies worked together to battle the blaze near the Newfield neighborhood in Palm City.
Martin County Fire Rescue, the Florida Division of Forestry, and the Martin County Sheriff's Office responded to the wildfire near Newfield Boulevard and Southwest Citrus Boulevard. Residents nearby experienced smoky conditions and increased emergency vehicle activity as crews worked to contain the fire.
The smoke and flames were visible from homes in the Newfield neighborhood, drawing crowds of onlookers.
Josh Barry, a Newfield resident, said his family was caught off guard when the fire broke out.
"My wife just started yelling from upstairs, hey there's a fire outside so I ran up and looked and said wow that's really really close," Barry said.
Barry said the scene drew attention from across the neighborhood. "There was residents all over. People were lined up from all over the place watching," Barry said.
For Barry, who recently moved into the neighborhood, the fire hit close to home. "It was just kind of a little bit more excitement that you probably want having a fire that close to your house — especially since we just moved in here a few weeks ago," Barry said.
Tom Hornbostel, district chief for Martin County Fire Rescue, described how the Division of Forestry and Martin County’s Sheriffs office helicopter operations helped stop the fire's spread.
"With their helicopter drops they were able to go by near lakes, pick up water and do what we call water drops to stop the floor progression of the fire," Hornbostel said.
Although some neighbors reported seeing ash fall, fire crews said there was no threat to homes or other structures.
When WPTV Reporter Zitlali Solache asked about the cause of the fire, Hornbostel said the investigation is ongoing but early signs point to a natural cause. "Right now the fire is still under investigation, but all the initial clues are really leading to a possible lighting strike from yesterday," Hornbostel said.
Despite the scare, Barry said he was impressed by how quickly crews responded. "It was kind of a cool show. We got to sit there and watch as these helicopters came in and loaded up," Barry said. "It was fairly quickly taken care of and that's what we want to see.”
Division of Forestry units remained on scene overnight and into Monday morning to closely monitor the fire for any spot-overs.
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