Meanwhile, a 3,000-acre wildfire in a remote area in north Florida near the Georgia border was about 50 percent contained and firefighters expected to make more progress Monday. A blaze at recycling plant at the Port of Tampa was contained.
The Lee County fire near Florida Gulf Coast University had been 90 percent contained Saturday night when it got out of control and spread from about 10 acres to more than 1,000, Florida Division of Forestry officials said.
It remained out of control midday Monday, according to Jim Brenner, a fire administrator in Tallahassee. The fire was fed by melaleuca, an exotic tree that has a lot of oils and resin, Brenner said.
``It's very volatile,'' he said.
In north Florida, more than 100 firefighters worked over the weekend and Monday to contain the fire in Baker County, said Gene Madden, a spokesman for the state Division of Forestry. He said firefighters expected to make progress Monday and contain more of the fire.
However, officials have decided to keep State Highway 2 closed for the rest of the week because of the number of emergency vehicles, like water trucks, traveling on the road, Madden said.
Elsewhere in Florida, a 150-acre fire in St. Lucie County was contained after damaging eight houses Saturday and forcing the evacuation of 40 others.
At the Port of Tampa, a hazardous materials team was dispatched to the scene because the port houses volatile materials including anhydrous ammonia, chlorine, sulfur dioxide, gasoline, jet fuel and sulfuric acid.
But the fire was contained in a metal recycling facility and no hazardous materials were nearby, said Tampa Fire Rescue Capt. Bill Wade.
The fire sent a pillar of black smoke into the air, but it was put out in less than two hours and no injuries were reported, Wade said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
