Lehigh Fires: Assessing The Damage
Blazes contained, costs to run into millions
By Grant Boxleitner
gboxleitner@news-press.com
Originally posted on May 03, 2006
Fire officials continued to investigate the massive Lehigh Acres brush fires Tuesday, with one detective saying the damage total will run well into the millions.
The four fires that together consumed about 2,000 acres were 100 percent contained by Tuesday afternoon, said Henry MacArty, fire marshal for the Lehigh Acres Fire District. That means the fires were no longer a threat to spread, but firefighters still were extinguishing a few hot spots, MacArty said.
But some firefighters had to delay the damage assessment to fight yet another fire that started across town Tuesday. The 25-acre blaze near East Seventh Street and Hines Avenue near the Hendry County line was contained to a rural wooded area and did not damage any homes or vehicles.
Fire investigators are calling that blaze suspicious, just as those over the weekend that forced hundreds to evacuate.
Departments from across Southwest Florida responded to Tuesday's fire just before noon, and the fire was under control before 3 p.m., according to Henry MacArty, an assistant chief with the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District.
Coming home to see a column of smoke rising behind their home brought residents' fire fears back.
"It's been really scary over here," Tiffany Henderson said.
This fire did not appear to be related to the weekend fires, but "given what we had over the weekend, it's definitely suspicious in nature," said Hank Graham, district manager for the Florida Division of Forestry.
A 12-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl accused of starting at least part of the weekend's fast-spreading fires were in Lee County court Tuesday for a detention hearing. Circuit Judge Sherra Winesett placed both of them on 21 days of home detention.
The two suspects, along with a 10-year-old boy, were charged with malicious land burning. Their arraignment is scheduled May 23.
In Estero, residents of a rural neighborhood in eastern Lee County on Corkscrew Road kept a wary eye on a second Southwest Florida blaze that reached within 150 feet of their homes Tuesday afternoon.
They gathered their horses and small animals as several fire districts battled a blaze that initially appeared menacing but burned a little more than 5 acres.
The fire started at 1:28 p.m. on Corkscrew Road just west of Six L's Farm Road and was controlled about three hours later. Investigators believe that it was an accidental fire caused by someone who dumped horse feces and sawdust in the woods.
The sun broke down the feces and created heat. The sawdust caught the heat and ignited, said Jim Clark, Estero Fire Rescue spokesman.
There were no reported injuries and no structures were damaged, but five homes were evacuated.
Residents returning home were stopped at the road by Lee County sheriff's deputies to their surprise. They were kept at bay for their safety, causing many to worry.
"I saw the firetruck, and I thought someone was hurt," said Sarah Villani, 16, who was returning from Evangelical Christian School in Fort Myers.
She was relieved to hear her home was safe, but only after the flames crept within feet of her home.
"My neighbor called me and said there is a little brush fire in your side yard," said Villani's mother, Susan. "I could see the flames."
The Florida Division of Forestry fought the fire with a helicopter, along with fire crews from Estero, Bonita Springs, Immokalee, Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel.
Meanwhile, the State Fire Marshal, Lehigh Acres Fire District, Lee County Emergency Management and American Red Cross are assembling post-fire property damage estimates for the weekend blazes, but no dollar figures were released Tuesday.
Final figures could take several more days, officials said.
"We're still working on the human need of it," said Gerald Campbell, chief of planning for Lee County Emergency Management. "We're still trying to get final numbers of exactly what was lost in the process."
The weekend fires destroyed 16 homes, damaged 20 others and torched dozens of vehicles, State Fire Marshal Detective Adam Rivero said.
"The loss from the physical property will be well into the millions," Rivero said.
Lehigh Acres firefighters are assembling individual fire reports on every structure and vehicle affected by the fire, which is expected to take weeks, MacArty said.
Officials from the American Red Cross projected Tuesday the cost of assisting the fire disaster will be at least $150,000. The Lee County Chapter has raised about $2,000 locally, director Heidi Ruster said.
Forty-five Red Cross volunteers served 5,000 meals and 10,000 drinks to firefighters and victims.
— Staff writers Pedro Morales and Justin St. Clair contributed to this report.
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