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The Greenway Fire in Florida’s Greater Naples Fire District is now covering 6,300 acres and is only 10 percent contained. So far, an occupied RV home has been lost to the fire and several structures were saved. There have been no injuries. But nearby residents have been asked to keep a close eye on emergency updates. The Sabal Palm area fire is one of several fires in the Southwest Florida region that are burning today. Crews have been hard at work to prevent the fire from reaching the VeronaWalk and Winding Cypress communities, Greater Naples Fire Rescue shared in a statement. Current wind conditions today are favorable for keeping the fire contained and away from those communities. No evacuations are currently expected for Sunday.
Here’s a map of active wildfires in the southwest Florida region, provided by Greater Naples Fire. The lighter orange is for the Flag Pond Fire, the yellow is for the 116th fire, and the dark orange is for the Greenway Fire. The reason that the Greenway Fire seems to have suddenly grown and dropped in containment is because it merged with a second fire, Naples Daily News reported
Greater Naples Fire DepartmentFlorida fires on a map
So far there are no evacuations being reported, because the fire is expected to burn in unpopulated areas today, said Greater Naples Fire Chief Kingman Schuldt. According to the Caloosahatchee Forestry Center, the Greenway Fire was caused by lightning. The brush fire began at the end of Greenway Road in Naples, Florida, NBC 2 reported. Containment efforts should get some help today and Monday when light winds shift out of the southeast and east, Naples Daily News reported. But meteorologist Larry Kelly said that when a weak front pushes through later on Monday, the winds might pick up and push the fire back in the Naples direction.
A travel advisory has been issued for I-75, mile markers 107 to 95, WINK News reported. Here are current fire danger indices:
FIRE RISK: “Moderate” fire danger level for Collier County today 03.25.18. – Please use caution with any outdoor burning activities.
One of the greatest problems with the Greenway Fire right now is the smoke. Some residents in the region have said the smoke is making them feel sick, Fox 4 reported. This is especially true if they have asthma problems.
When smoke is heavy due to close proximity of a #wildfire, it can be a nuisance for everyone. Smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood and other organic materials burn. #FLFire #Flwildfire
Additional fires in the air are more contained, Fox 4 reported. This includes the 116th Ave SE Fire which is 7,200 acres and 45 percent contained, according to the Florida Forest Service. The West Boundary Fire is 2,200 acres and 50 percent contained. And the Flag Pond Fire which is 2,600 acres is now 90 percent contained.
You can learn about relevant road closures here.
Want to stay updated on the fires? There are several ways. Follow the Caloosahatchee Forestry Center on Twitter, which is alerting residences to issues related to the fire. You can view current fire conditions in Florida here.