PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — Firefighters in the Florida Panhandle battled wildfires through the night that have forced hundreds of people to evacuate from their homes, authorities said.
A more than 575-acre fire in Walton County prompted about 500 people to evacuate. Authorities there said multiple structures were lost in the fire, which was 65% contained this morning.
Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said during a late-night news conference that those who were asked to leave their home but had no place to go were sent to South Walton High School.
Another wildfire broke out Monday afternoon in neighboring Santa Rosa County as high winds and low humidity caused the blaze to expand 10 times in size, the Florida Forest Service said in a statement. The fire started as a prescribed burn but quickly grew out of control, according to The Tampa Bay Times.
The Forest Service said multiple structures have been lost in the 2,000-acre fire in the Santa Rosa County and authorities are recommending residents south of Interstate 10 to evacuate. The agency did not make clear how many people have been evacuated from the area. So far, about 20% of the fire has been contained, authorities said.
The evacuation order will remain in effect until noon today and then will be reevaluated at that time, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said in a statement.