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Panhandle Wild Fires
05/15/08 - 08:51 AM
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Jessi Chapin - bio
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click for larger image Bay County, Fla:

Wildfires across the state have firefighters working through the night and the Panhandle is no exception.

“People don’t realize how easy it is to start a fire,” said Panama City Fire Inspector Bob Goree.

Thousands of acres are black and scorched after 2 large fires involving 3 counties Tuesday. 

“Just one ember blew into the forest and started 180 acres,” Goree said about one fire in West Bay.  Officials from the Division of Forestry attribute the wildfire to construction clearing for the site of the new airport.

James Finch, of Phoenix Construction says their subcontractor will pay for costs of clean-up and damage.  He says they will implement new procedures for burning debris to prevent it from happening again.

For another Tuesday wildfire, officials closed SR 65 for a 2 thousand-acre fire on the border of Liberty and Franklin counties. 

Fire officials say laws prohibit burning in Panama City limits, but outside of the area there are regulations that must be followed. 

“burn in a barrel or a pit,” said Goree, “You have to attend that fire at all times with a source of water nearby in case it starts to spread on you.” 

But, with current weather conditions, the Division of Forestry is not authorizing even controlled burns, and will regulate on a day-to-day basis.

“It’s dry, it’s windy, we have a lot of underbrush and it will get away from you,” said Goree.

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