- Multiple wildfires in Alachua, Levy, Putnam, and Clay counties have containment levels ranging from 50% to 80%.
- The N. Main Street fire in Gainesville covers 106 acres and is 75% contained with 50,000 gallons of water dropped on hotspots.
- The Cow Creek Fire in Levy County spans 2,403 acres with 50% containment and crews continue mop-up operations to restrict its perimeter.
Multiple large wildfires remain active in Alachua, Levy, Putnam and Clay counties, with containment levels varying from 50-80%.
Alachua County
On Saturday, Alachua County provided updates from the Florida Forest Service on three active wildfires in Gainesville.
The N. Main Street fire was holding at 106 acres and 75% containment.
According to a post on the Alachua County Facebook page, Florida Forest Service wildland firefighters “dropped 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish hotspots.” A sprinkler system was also set up on the southwest side of the fire to “cool remaining heat and reduce smoke.”
On Thursday, the city of Gainesville issued a Temporary No Entry Zone established for the North Main Street wildfire.
Meanwhile, the NE 15th Street fire was at 1.5 acres and 75% containment. A total of 8,000 gallons of water had been put down to extinguish hotspots, according to Alachua County’s post. All fire lines were secure, and crews were continuing mop-up operations.
The State Road 121 fire was at 24 acres and 80% containment. According to Alachua County’s post, crews were continuing to monitor the blaze and conduct mop-up work to “eliminate hotspots.”
Alachua County said these would be the final updates from the Florida Forest Service on the three wildfires “unless significant new information is received.”
The Florida Forest Service also issued a separate update on the State Road 26 fire. The agency said on Saturday that crews had made “great progress” on the blaze, noting it was at 306 acres and 75% containment.
Alachua County remains under a state of emergency due to several active wildfires. On Friday, the county also extended its burn ban through May 1.
Levy County
As of Monday morning, the Cow Creek Fire in Levy County was holding at 2,403 acres with 50% containment.
Additional crews from the Florida Forest Service, as well as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), have been brought in to continue the strenuous work of mopping up hot spots on the fire, the Florida Forest Service said.
“This work involves very long days and can continue for weeks with the objective of keeping the fire well inside the containment lines that have been established around the perimeter of the fire,” the Florida Forest Service said.
Clay, Putnam counties
As of Monday morning, the Railroad Fire in Clay and Putnam counties was at 4,796 acres and 80% containment.
The fire formed when the Crews Road Fire in Clay County and the Railroad Complex Fire in Putnam County merged, according to the Florida Forest Service.
The Florida Forest Service said crews are “actively engaged” in full mop-up operations, looking for any visible smoke and hotspots.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.