- April 25, 2024
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The 204-acre fire south of Turnbull Bay Road, between I-95 and Pioneer Trail has been 100% contained and Pioneer Trail has been reopened.
Fire crews from Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater have been working with the Florida Forest Service to help with firefighting efforts.
After burnout operations, the fire was 90% contained as of 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 29. Currently, there are 57 active wildfires in Florida burning 32,031 acres, according to the Florida Forest Service.
A call came in around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 29, notifying responders that there was a wild fire, which was initially two to three acres. The Pioneer Trail fire forced the closure of a portion of I-95 north from SR 44 to Dunlawton Avenue from 1:14 p.m. on Wednesday until 9:38 a.m. on Thursday. As of Thursday evening, Pioneer Trail was closed from Sugar Mill Drive to Turnbull Bay Road.
Florida Forest Service spokeswoman Julie Allen said that due to the area's vegetation and the winds, the fire spread quickly. Because of a 2006 large wildfire in the same area dead vegetation was widely present. Last year's hurricanes blew down much of that vegetation making this week's firefighting efforts even more difficult, according to Allen.
Allen said there was also the challenge of fighting the fire around a swamp in the middle of the land.
"As our firefighters were trying to plow lines around this fire they kept getting hung up on all that dead vegetation," Allen said. "As much progress they would make containing the fire, they would get hung up and then the fire would blow past them. They're in a very dangerous situation out there in the middle of the wildfires."
Port Orange crews were helping with firefighting efforts on Wednesday and the Port Orange Police Department has been assisting with traffic control along the I-95 and US-1 corridors since the closure of I-95 began on Wednesday. The highway was reopened Thursday morning.
"With the substantial increase in traffic as a result of the fire, our motors and patrol officers have been working hard to ensure that traffic flows as safely and smoothly as possible through our city," Port Orange Police Public Information Officer Evan Doyle said.
The Port Orange Fire Department assisted in putting out the fire with four brush fire units, three staff chiefs and seven members.
Allen said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
"We're paying close attention to those hot spots because there are some high winds today the weather is not on our side today," Allen said on Thursday. "We're watching the winds, we're monitoring these woods, we're going to keep Pioneer Trail closed for as long as we can for the safety of our first responders and the community."
