MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Martin County saw 2 brush fires this week, including one sparked by a lightning strike. Both are now fully contained and being monitored by the Florida Forest Service.
The Florida Forest Service says the conditions that fuel these fires are not going away anytime soon, but residents should not be alarmed.
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David Grubitch, a mitigation specialist and spokesperson with the department, said this is their peak season.
"We're in that summertime where you don't even want to be outside; it's hot, so that same heat is drying out these fine dead fuels and what happens is the fuels are receptive and they're ready, so when you get a lightning strike, it's going to go out there, it's going to start a fire," said Grubitch.
Grubitch explained that rain often extinguishes these fires immediately, but sometimes they travel underground and surface days later.
He said the public plays a crucial role in helping the Florida Forest Service do its job. Grubitch stressed that residents should never assume someone else has already called in a brush fire. If you see something, say something, as he said, it can make all the difference in how quickly crews are able to get a fire under control.
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