LITHIA, Fla. — A 125-acre brush fire that burned Monday in the Lithia area has been contained and knocked down, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said in a tweet.
Firefighters spent hours working along Balm Riverview Road to prevent the fire from reaching nearby power lines and two structures. No injuries or structure damage has been reported, emergency crews said.
It grew in scope throughout the evening, first reported as a 30-acre fire that potentially grew to as large as 125 acres – roughly the size of 94 football fields – at one point when combining hot spots and areas that had burned, according to Fire Rescue Spokesman Eric Seidel.
The Florida Fire Service, which assisted county crews, said the fire had been driven by gusty winds.
After monitoring overnight, the agency said Tuesday morning there were no further issues to report.
Crews are continuing to monitor high winds and low humidity – which doesn't help with fire activity, FFS said.
Hillsborough fire crews said to expect smoke in the area Tuesday.
The month of May typically is dry for the Tampa Bay region, though this month has been especially drier than average. Just under an inch of rain usually is picked up through mid-month.
So far this May, only .16 of an inch has fallen at Tampa International Airport, and all of that fell on one day.
What other people are reading right now:
- 2020 tax returns due to the IRS on May 17
- How are Tampa Bay's summer camp programs handling COVID-19 safety guidelines?
- Florida is open & tourists are back, but not everyone is following the rules
- Fauci says pandemic exposed 'undeniable effects of racism'
- Florida inmates are making robocalls – and the state is cashing in on them
►Breaking news and weather alerts: Get the free 10 Tampa Bay app
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter