Florida Residents Join Firefighters to Battle Brushfire

May 30, 2007
Residents grabbed their hoses and turned into firefighters themselves.

MICCO, Fla. --

The battle against a brush fire in Brevard County became so dicey on Tuesday that residents grabbed their hoses and turned into firefighters themselves.

The firefighters were slugging it out with flames that could have become a wall of fire, WESH 2 News reported.

"A wall of fire coming across the street, they came and told me we might have to evacuate. But then they were like, 'It's going to be fine. We're going to save your house,' and they did. I'm just so thankful. They did a wonderful job," homeowner Linda Bransky said.

"My wife called me at work and said, 'You had better get home. The whole neighborhood is on fire,'" Dave Bransky said.

"It seemed kind of like a war zone, seeing the helicopter coming over our house," Linda Bransky said.

The fire raged through 40 acres of woods and homes. Eighty firefighters did battle, and there were two engines in every driveway.

Chris Green grabbed a hose and climbed on his roof to defend his home.

"I wish that I would have cleared out more land, actually. But I didn't, so we'll see," Green said.

Many residents said they're in desperate need of rain in their neighborhood, and they were glad that firefighters were willing to watch for hot spots overnight.

The wind didn't die down much during the night, and firefighters are warning residents to be prepared if the fire should re-ignite on Wednesday.

Fire commanders said the cause of the blaze is suspicious. One witness said they saw it start at the very edge of a roadway and spread quickly into the woods. It was one of three wildfires in Brevard County on Tuesday.

Meanwhile in Lake County, two families also had to play it safe and voluntarily evacuate their homes during a fire in Sorrento. The blaze burned 40 acres. A nearby fire near Royal Trails also consumed 7 acres and created heavy smoke.

It could be a costly clean-up for the three people accused of sparking a fire in Deltona. Investigators said the three were doing target practice in the woods and started the fire. It burned 94 acres and forced evacuations from seven homes.

To comment on this story, send an e-mail to Dan Billow.

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Firehouse, create an account today!