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Highlands Today

Brush Fire Rekindles Behind Lakeshore Mall

Brad Dickerson, Highlands Today

West Sebring firefighter Chris Kelley hoses down a small brush fire that burned an area just south of the Lakeshore Mall Kmart. The rekindled brush fire was the remnants of a larger blaze that burned for several hours on March 14 and threatened both the mall and the nearby post office.

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By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: March 25, 2009

Updated:

SEBRING - Members of the Highlands County Sheriff's Office and West Sebring Fire Department extinguished a brush fire south of the Lakeshore Mall Kmart that rekindled Tuesday morning.

The call came in just before 11 a.m. Flames were spotted in small brush area just across the street from the Kmart building.

Deputies with the HCSO were on the scene first and quickly hooked a hose to a nearby fire hydrant. K-9 Deputy Luis Pratts climbed through the brush and began hosing down the burnt area.

The WSFD arrived a few minutes later and had a second hose on the fire. Within 15 minutes, it was extinguished.

On March 14, a brush fire burned its way across the Flare and Brunns Road area and threatened both the mall and the nearby post office.

After several hours, the fire that had burned 17 acres was finally contained when it entered a mucky area.

Although contained, the fire has not died out. Firefighters expect it will continue smoking for a few more weeks before dying out on its own. Brush trucks have been monitoring the area about three times a day to make sure it does not get out of control again.

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

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