FLORAL CITY, Fla. — Citrus County Fire Rescue (CCFR) said an open burn during a county burn ban led to a brush fire and thousands of dollars in structure damage in Floral City.
CCFR said crews arrived at the scene of a reported brush fire between South Canna Point and South Brierwood Point at 12:51 p.m. on Jan. 1.
Crews encountered a slow-moving brush fire between two residential properties and determined it had spread approximately 1/8 of an acre, per the report.
According to officials, the fire extended into an adjacent property. It reached the outside of a concrete block guest home on South Canna Point, resulting in melted soffit material, damaged French drains and possible damage to an outside air conditioning compressor.
CCFR said estimated property damage was between $3,500 and $5,000, pending further evaluation.
Officials said the fire originated from embers that were improperly disposed of from an open front-porch fire the night before on South Brierwood Point.
Crews put out the fire and determined it did not reach the guest house.
A Forestry officer issued citations for the improper disposal of embers in a wooded area and for open burning during a county burn ban.
CCFR is reminding residents that outdoor burning is prohibited during county burn bans, and the improper disposal of embers can quickly lead to dangerous fire conditions.
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