Bertha Swamp Road Fire now 'more than 14,000 acres' | Live updates
No homes were reported damaged overnight by the three fires threatening the Panama City area.
Dry, windy conditions persisted overnight, an the Bertha Swamp Road Fire has grown once again, topping 14,000 acres and just 10% contained. The Adkins Avenue Fire is now 50% contained and at 875 acres, while the Star Avenue Fire is 60% contained at 250 acres.
Update 6:30 a.m. | Bertha Swamp Fire makes up bulk of 18,500 acres on fire across Florida
Currently across Florida there are 160 wildfires burning more than 18,500 acres. Fire danger levels remain elevated.
The Bertha Swamp Road Fire continues to show extreme activity as steady winds push the fire through thick, dry, and dead trees and vegetation left behind from Hurricane Michael. The Bertha Swamp Road Fire originated in Gulf County and has spread into Calhoun and Bay counties.
A strike team of heavy bulldozers is focusing on building firelines and defensible space around the communities near Bear Creek. The heavy bulldozers are better equipped to move large volumes of debris and to establish wider firelines than typical initial attack tractor-plow units.
Mandatory evacuations remain in place for residents in and around the Bear Creek area south and east of US 231. Motorists and residents are encouraged to remain clear of the area.
Update 5:30 p.m. | Vigilance encouraged
Although the evacuation order had been lifted for the Adkins Avenue and Star Avenue fires “we are not out of the woods yet," said Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford during a press conference Monday evening. He urged all residents to remain vigilant until all three fires are completely contained.
Ford noted that the Bertha Swamp Road Fire has grown significantly since Saturday, and that evacuations remain in place for that fire zone.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, a Bay County native, thanked the “strike teams” from across the state that have flooded Bay County to help battle the three wildfires. Patronis said those teams come from as far away as Naples but specifically had high praise for the Jacksonville team that has “bailed us out again.” That team also came to the county’s rescue during Hurricane Michael in 2018.
Kevin Guthrie, the state emergency management director, said another Chinook helicopter and a UH 60 would arrive Tuesday to help battle the blazes.
Update 4:45 p.m. | Adkins Fire evacuees allowed to return home
The mandatory evacuation order for homes south of U.S. 231 to U.S. 98 and between Transmitter Road and Star Avenue has been lifted. Fire personnel and law enforcement have deemed it safe for residents living in this area to return home.
The Adkins Avenue Fire no longer poses an immediate threat to homes and structures; however, residents should continue to monitor local media and fire conditions.
The mandatory evacuation order for the Bear Creek area is still in effect due to the Bertha Swamp Road Fire.
Mother Nature assistance: Heavy rain chances expected to bring potential relief to Panhandle wildfires, but it's temporary
Community support: Want to help victims of the Adkins Avenue and Bertha Swamp Road wildfires? Here's how.
Update 4:30 p.m. | Veterans allowed to return to Sims
Veterans have been allowed to return to Clifford Chester Sims State Veterans Nursing Home. The nursing home was evacuated Sunday afternoon due to the close proximity of the Star Avenue Fire, the third of three fires raging in the Panama City Area. That fire is now 250 acres and 45% contained.
Mandatory evacuations remain in place for residents impacted by the Adkins Avenue and Bertha Swamp Road fires.
The Adkins Avenue fire is now 875 acres and 40% contained, while the Bertha Swamp Road Fire is 13,000 acres and 10% contained.
Update 3:50 p.m. | CFO Jimmy Patronis sends mental health professionals to help firefighters
Two mental health professionals from Indian River County First Rescue and Iona-McGregor Fire District have been deployed to Bay County to "ensure the mental health needs of fire teams is being properly met," according to a press release from CFO Jimmy Patronis' office.
"Firefighters are currently battling wildfires on a number of front and the members of our fire service community are giving everything they have to put them out," Patronis said in the release.
Patronis said he also helped coordinate the deployment of four Fire Engine Strike Teams from across Florida to the Panhandle. Additional brush firefighting resources also are responding to the area.
"Our first responders willingly go into traumatic situations, and exposure to these events can cause a tremendous impact on these heroes for many years to come," Patronis said. "We all owe a deep debt of gratitude to our first responders who are working around the clock to put out these wildfires and for their service to selflessly go into danger for others."
Update 2:45 p.m. | Waller Elementary Schools closed Tuesday
Bay District Schools announced Monday afternoon that Waller Elementary School will remain closed on Tuesday because of the raging fires in Bay County.
Waller Elementary School, Tommy Smith Elementary School and Merritt Brown Middle School were closed Monday. Only Waller will remain closed Tuesday.
"We continue to work closely with emergency management officials and have made the difficult decision to keep Waller Elementary closed for one more day due to that school's proximity to the smoke," the release reads. "All other schools will be open on a usual schedule.
"We do understand that many of our families, and some of our employees, have had to evacuate because of the fires, and we will continue to do all we can to connect them with the resources they need," the release adds. "Our mental health teams at our schools are working hard to support our students and staff through this challenge."
On Monday afternoon, seven aircrafts continued to battle the Bay County fires, and 105,000 gallons of water has been dumped on them by helicopters, according to Bay County, Florida Emergency Services.
"Additionally, a strike team of heavy bulldozers is focusing on building fire lines and defensible space around the communities near Beach Creek," the Facebook post reads. "The heavy bulldozers are better equipped to move large volumes of debris and to establish wider fire lines that typical initial attack tractor-plow units."
Update 1 p.m. | Bertha grows again
In a post on the FFS Chipola Twitter from about 12:20 p.m. Monday, officials announced that the Bertha Swamp Road Fire had jumped to about 13,000 acres and was only 10% contained.
This is about 4,000 acres larger than reports from Sunday afternoon, and about 1,000 acres larger than reports from Monday morning.
The tweet also noted that the Adkins Fire, which still was 40% contained, also had slightly grown from Monday morning. By about noon, it covered 875 acres — 34 acres larger than just a few hours prior.
There were no changes to the Star Avenue Fire, which still was 250 acres and 45% contained.
Update 10:30 a.m. | FEMA gives more federal funds to Bay County
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Management Agency has authorized federal funds to help Bay County fight the Bertha Swamp Road Fire.
This is the second Fire Management Assistance Grant approved for Bay County within the past two days.
The newest grant, like the first one geared toward the Adkins Avenue Fire, authorized federal funds to reimburse up to 75% of the funds used to fight the fire.
Update 9:30 a.m. | Bertha Swamp Fire grows to 12,000 acres
SPRINGFIELD — Local leaders corrected a report by Gov. Ron DeSantis from over the weekend, and said no first responders have been injured while fighting wildfires in Bay County.
DeSantis had said in a press conference in Panama City on Sunday afternoon that there were reports of injuries. In a separate conference in Bay on Saturday, DeSantis also said eight homes had been engulfed by the Adkins Avenue Fire, but officials remain adamant that only two are confirmed destroyed so far.
"Contrary to national media reports, there are no fatalities and no injures (from) the wildfires in Bay County," a post on the Bay County, Florida Emergency Services Facebook page states. "All first responders are safe."
As of about 9 a.m. Monday, Julie Allen, spokeswoman for the Florida Forest Service Blue Incident Management Team, said the Bertha Swamp Road Fire now covers about 12,000 acres - about 3,000 acres more than Sunday.
"We really had some heavy winds yesterday, some dry air, low relative humidity and it did increase the acreage," Allen said.
She noted that there also was a 5% increase to the containment of the Adkins Avenue Fire overnight. It now is 40% contained.
Allen said that her team was brought in to assist the local Florida Forest Service center in mitigating the fires.
The team brought with them four "heavies," which are large bulldozers able to "move significant amounts of earth." They will be used to plow debris and dig dirt roadways behind homes to create a barrier between them and the fire.
The latest information from Monday morning on the three ongoing wildfires in Bay County includes:
Bertha Swamp Road Fire — 12,000 acres, almost 10% contained, according to Florida Fire Service. County officials report containment at 20%.
Adkins Avenue Fire — 841 acres, 40% contained.
Star Avenue Fire — 250 acres, 45% contained.
Wildfires in the Florida Panhandle: Where they are and what you need to know
Bertha Swamp Fire at 8,000 acres
SPRINGFIELD — Officials said about noon Sunday that not much had changed during the past 24 hours with the two large wildfires threatening Bay County.
The only notable difference from Saturday was that the Adkins Avenue Fire, which covered about 1,400 acres in the Springfield and Panama City area, was now about 35% contained. The fire was said to be 30% contained on Saturday.
The Bertha Swamp Road Fire still covered about 8,000 acres and was 10% contained. It originated in Gulf County and crept into northern Bay County on Saturday afternoon.
"Officials are deploying all available resources, including an additional four helicopters from the Florida National Guard, to contain the Bertha Swamp Road Fire and the Adkins Avenue Fire," a Sunday morning press release from the Florida Forest Service reads. "Currently, there are nearly 150 wildfires burning more than 12,100 acres throughout the state."
Mandatory evacuations because of the Adkins Avenue Fire were in effect for everyone who lives east of Transmitter Road, south of U.S. 231, and north of Tyndall Parkway.
Other evacuations because of the Bertha Swamp Road Fire also were in place for anyone who lives east of U.S. 231, between Stone Road and Scotts Ferry Road.
Posts on the Bay County Emergency Services Facebook page from Sunday morning noted that fire apparatuses and 25 bulldozers were working to contain the Adkins Avenue Fire.
Additional fire apparatuses and another 17 bulldozers were working to contain the Bertha Swamp Road Fire.
The Deer Point Lake Reservoir also was closed to boaters from the Deer Point Dam to High Point Park.
"The weather conditions (Sunday) will be similar to (Saturday, so) strong winds will pose some challenges to our teams on the ground," a post on the page reads. "First responders from all over the state have been arriving throughout the night. Our priorities are protecting lives and property. We are working hard to protect your home."
State officials became aware of the Adkins Avenue Fire about 11 a.m. Friday when it covered only about 25 acres. It has since forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 households, destroyed at least two homes and damaged at least a dozen more.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency also has authorized federal funds to reimburse up to 75% of the funds used to fight the fire, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Local officials also have set up a shelter at the Bay County Fairgrounds for those evacuating from the fires. The shelter is pet-friendly, but residents who plan to bring their pets should call ahead and let officials know. The shelter's number is 850-248-6090.
A press release from Bay District Schools noted that while an official decision was not yet made as of noon Sunday, leaders "expect most, if not all, schools to be open as usual" on Monday.
"We are monitoring the fires and remain in close contact with emergency officials," the BDS release reads. "If anything changes with our usual school schedule, we will use social media, automated phone calls, emails and the mainstream media to ensure our students, parents/guardians and staff have the information they need."
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Florida Panhandle fires: Bertha Swamp Avenue fire grows | Updates
