VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Florida Forestry Service crews remained near Williamson Boulevard in Volusia County on Friday to continue monitoring conditions after a 93-acre fire closed roads in Daytona Beach and Port Orange on Thursday.

Spot fires were the greatest challenge Friday, crew members said. Firefighters said they hope some rain will help.

Officials said the initial 40-acre brush fire shut down Northbound Williamson Boulevard at Madeline Avenue and closed Southbound Williamson Boulevard at Beville Road Thursday evening. Roads, including the lane on South Williamson Boulevard that had remained closed for part of Friday morning, have reopened.

As of Friday morning, the Florida Forest Service reported the brush fire was at 115-acres and 90% contained, but fire officials said it was down to 93-acres Friday afternoon.

What You Need To Know

  • The Florida Forest Service and the Port Orange Fire Department assisted the Daytona Beach Fire Department to control the brush fire

  • Roads have reopened. No one was injured, and no evacuations took place

  • Fire officials said smoke will be in the area for a few days and crews will continue to monitor the area

Florida Forest Service Bunnell District Manager Anthony Petellat has been working nonstop with his crews and fire departments from Daytona Beach and Port Orange to put out the fire.  

“So far what we’ve been challenged with, there's a lot of spot fires," Petellat said. "A lot of these garbage bombs are burning and then going ahead, and the embers are going over the lines that we have constructed.”

He said they brought three medium-sized bulldozers and one heavy bulldozer to help improve the fire lines. 

"We're going to make it so that our brush units can go back there and then start mopping up after this weather event calms down,” he said.

Deputy Fire Chief Jessica Matthews said the Daytona Beach Fire Department received calls around 6 p.m. Thursday. Firefighters saw heavy smoke and flames as they responded to the area.

Officials reported that no one suffered injuries, and no evacuations were required.

Volusia County resident Mark Dickinson lives in the area and came out Friday morning with his son to watch the crews. 

“We've been seeing this smoke over by our house here, and I decided to come out and check out what's going on,” Dickinson said.

Crews working on the fire Friday also had to fight temperatures that climbed to around 90 degrees, not including the heat generated by the fire. They are on a rotation schedule to have personnel engaged with the fire while others take a break from the heat. 

“They've been going ahead and switching off, you know, some of them switching out, the 'dozers, taking water breaks, being able to sit in the AC (air conditioning),” Petellat said.

In the meantime, he is asking for the community’s cooperation. 

“Just be patient with this," Petellat said. "I mean, smoke is going to be an issue. There's a lot of the ground material burning, still has some moisture, so it's creating a lot more smoke. So you're going to have that impact in the communities. You're also going to have that impact on the roads. So, roads may temporarily be shut down like Williamson was yesterday (Thursday) and this (Friday) morning.”

Dickinson said the smoke smell has drifted to their house.   

“I'll probably just close the windows up and put something over them because the smell was starting to come into our house from this,” he said.

One resident in the area said her neighbors did what they could to make sure their homes were protected.

“A lot of people have turned on their sprinklers just in case some of the hot embers come our way. I think everyone is just being cautious,” Michelle Vella said. 

Fire officials recommended that drivers in the area remain cautious and warned residents that they can expect to continue to see and smell smoke over the next few days. 

Anyone sensitive to the smoke should try to stay indoors, if possible, to reduce inhalation exposure, and should keep doors and windows closed, they said.