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Highlands Today

Small Hammock Fire Takes 5 Acres

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By Douglas  Carman | Highlands Today

Published: June 2, 2008

Updated: 06/03/2008 03:23 pm

SEBRING — A small wildfire in the northeast part of Highlands Hammock State Park was extinguished Monday evening, causing no injuries or property damage.

The rain helped firefighters and forestry officials put a quick end to the fire, the second in a week for the park.

Chief Scott Mann of the West Sebring Volunteer Fire Department said the fire affected about five acres before it was put out 7:30 p.m.

Mann and Fire Mitigation Specialist Melissa Yunas of the Florida Division of Forestry said the fire was started by Sunday's lightning storm.

Though relatively small for a brush fire, it created a large pillar of smoke from the northeast part of the park. Several Division of Forestry bulldozers had to team up with the West Sebring firefighters to handle it.

The fire was located half a mile away from homes in the woods, in a part of the park that has several tall pine trees. While fighting the fire Monday evening, Yunas said those homes were not in danger.

Forestry officials also contained a 15-acre fire near County Road 29 and Holmes Avenue, southeast of Lake Placid.

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