Fire in SoWal -- Seagrove Beach

Dont mean to use thise SoWAL for info on another city, BUT.... HWY 98 Thomas Drive West has a MAJOR fire burning from the CVS Pharmacy and roads are closed. Check www. wjhg.com
THis is getting bad people.

Thanks for letting us know. My brother's in-laws own there. I'll call him right now.

CNN said that Governor Crist held a news conference and said that 54 out of the 67 counties in Florida have active fires burning right now. We're hoping that a band of rain from Subtropical Storm Andrea will give us some rain -- they say it's headed back towards Florida. Reminds me of the James Taylor song, "Fire and Rain." Just hope it doesn't turn into a hurricane -- then it'd be "Fire, Rain, and Hurricane."

Unfortunately, last I heard of Andrea, if we do get rain it will not be a soaking rain and won't help w/ the fires.

How are all these fires being started? Was I the only one who learned from Smokey the Bear?

Perhaps people could refrain from tossing lit cigarettes out of their cars until we get some rain.................

I'm confining my cooking to indoors, no BBQ for me until we get rain!

I'm confining my cooking to indoors, no BBQ for me until we get rain!

Good point. We have renters coming in on Sunday. I need to get the word to them.

Good point. We have renters coming in on Sunday. I need to get the word to them.

Things will still be dry this weekend, but the red flag warnings will likely be lifted, as there will be much more humidity. No one should let their guard down, but we should not have to worry as much about the current "explosive" conditions.

Photos from Wednesday morning

more Wednesday morning photos....

Hey Guys - I am a new owner in SoWal - looked at the Bungalows even! - but just was introduced to the site yesterday by a friend and wanted to thank you for this forum and your updates! I also want to extend my concern to all those who own property in this area - our thoughts are with you!​

MC...we are glad you found this site...just sorry for the reason....

PK....thanks for the pics...so sad about the bungalows

Dont mean to use thise SoWAL for info on another city, BUT.... HWY 98 Thomas Drive West has a MAJOR fire burning from the CVS Pharmacy and roads are closed. Check www. wjhg.com
THis is getting bad people.

I just passed this on the way to class. Westbound traffic on 98 was at a standstill between Thomas Drive and 23rd Street. Even with my windows up, my eyes were stinging from the smoke outside.

Be careful on the roads, wherever you go, and don't slow down to gawk.... we don't want to risk any further accidents.

New pictures posted in my photo album.

Hey Guys - I am a new owner in SoWal - looked at the Bungalows even! - but just was introduced to the site yesterday by a friend and wanted to thank you for this forum and your updates! I also want to extend my concern to all those who own property in this area - our thoughts are with you!
​

MrChevious and keep posting in good times as well. Your name is intriguing and sounds like a great fit for this board!

http://www.emeraldcoastphotoseast.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?userphoto=&image=14844142

Here are some pics from the Sunnyside fires the last few days.

Allifun - thanks for the welcome - No worries, I will be here for the good times as well

Paula - Yes, after reading thru various posts - I think I will fit in just fine!!

Thanks for the welcome

Mr.C!! Thanks for posting the pics. I've been so worried about everyone's homes!! This is awful!

MrChevious! Now...join in the funn!

MrChevious!!

So sorry to hear about the fires. It is sad to hear. Glad no one was injured and thank goodness the firefighters were able to contain the SoWal fire and PCB fires. Although I visit as often as possible and don't own, I have been a visitor for over 50 years and love that area more than any other in the US. Most beautiful place on earth and like paradise to me.

Just sitting here and all of a sudden there are sirens and flashing lights at FOOW.

OMG! Maybe it's a caf? coronary?

They are not about to life the red flag warning right now. These fires are suspecious at this point. They are just breaking out to frequently and in odd places.

Just sitting here and all of a sudden there are sirens and flashing lights at FOOW.

Any news on what's going on?

Any news on what's going on?

Per the Kitty, as she hollered over her balcony to the SWFD. False alarm. Thank goodness!:clap_1:

These fires are suspecious at this point. They are just breaking out to frequently and in odd places.

I don't understand what you are suggesting. Zero humidity, no rain in a long time, and you think the fires are suspicious and in odd places. ??? To me, an odd place for a fire under such conditions would be in the middle of a pond.

Some news coverage as of 10 p.m. (Eastern) Wednesday night:

http://story.waltonsun.com/article.display.db.php?a=1581

http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/7426296.html

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/5030

The WaltonSun is slightly incorrect in their report. They note, "The three homes destroyed were unoccupied rental units at the Bungalows behind the Tom Thumb in Seagrove."

Actually, three houses were destroyed, but only two were in the Bungalows at Seagrove Beach S/D, and the other home is located in Somerset Bridge at Seagrove S/D. Also, one of the houses was not a rental unit. Speaking with a SW Fireman earlier today, he said that one of the Bungalows which was destroyed, a lady had just moved out of it last week. Talk about good luck of timing on that one. I know she is very thankful, if she knows about the fire damage.

NW Daily News highlights, "suspicious nature," but I'm sure all fires are suspicious until after the investigation determines the cause of the fire. Perhaps they think that since the house, where they believe the fire started (332 Somerset bridge road), was listed for sale, the owner might have been able to cash out in a slow market. Word on the street is that it wasn't the owner who was working at the house and called 911 when the fire started. The listing, now withdrawn as of today, had been on the market for a little over a year, but I wouldn't jump to conclusions.

Hi and Dry gave a solid report earlier today on the damage.

Putting out fires of this nature is tough to do at one time. You can dump gallons of water on a thick piece of burning timber and it will extinguish the flames. You can continue to pour water on it even after the fire is out.
The problem is that the fuel source deep inside is not being affected by the water, and when the wind blows it can bring the embers back to a flame. Completely putting out a fire is at least a two day job.

The Aero Union air tanker did a great job dropping the fire retardant. That aircraft is one of only 8 the company owns in CA. We are fortunate to have that type of aircraft support in this area second only to L.A.