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Highlands Today

Brush fire comes close to homes on West Josephine Street

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

Noel Davidson, 17, waters down a friend's roof and the surrounding trees near the intersection of West Josephine Street and Cornelia Avenue that was endangered from a brush fire on Monday in Sebring.

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By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: April 28, 2009

SEBRING Traffic was halted on South Highlands Avenue shortly after 3 p.m., Monday, as fire crews battled a large fire in brush near Fred Wild Elementary School in Sebring.

Firefighters from West Sebring and city of Sebring fire departments worked to control the blaze that endangered at least three nearby homes off West Josephine Street. Radio chatter indicated that two of the homes were not occupied at the time of the fire, and the third one was evacuated.

Winds spread the fire and at one point, it looked in danger of possibly jumping from the brush onto the nearby Highlands Avenue sidewalk. Brush crews were quickly able to control the situation.

Representatives at Fred Wild said the Highlands County Sheriff's Office was at the school and gave the OK that the building was out of danger around 3:20 p.m., although deputies were keeping a close eye on the fire.

Sebring High School student Justin Smith was walking down Highlands Avenue toward Fred Wild after classes let out, as his mom works there.

Smith said emergency crews asked him to turn around and head back toward Kenilworth Boulevard until the blaze was completely contained.

"They won't let me in," Smith said.

Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at (863) 386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com

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