NORTH PORT, Fla. — After several locations were forced to evacuate as a precaution as fire crews work to put out a large brush fire near Interstate 75, the fire in North Port has been contained.
In an update Friday evening, officials said a big challenge was the fact they were battling four separate fires. Those fires burned 50 acres.
North Port Fire Rescue responded Friday afternoon to the area of Toledo Blade and Price boulevards, along with the North Police Police Department.
Some immediate schools and businesses, including Imagine School, North Port Gymnastics and Building Blox Daycare were evacuated as a precaution, according to fire rescue. Children were taken to Suncoast Technical College.
The Florida Highway Patrol shut down the entrance and exit ramps to Toledo Blade (Exit 179), but they have since been reopened.
Additional road closures were possible as the situation continues and crews worked to put out the fire, officials said.
"Drivers should avoid Toledo Blade between Price and Interstate 75 at this time," fire rescue officials wrote in a previous post on Facebook. "Please avoid this area."
As of Friday night, that area has since returned to normal operations.
North Port officials confirmed all four fires were contained with no injuries and no damage to any structures.
The North Port fire is one of several that broke out across the Tampa Bay region, according to Patrick Mahoney with the Florida Division of Forestry.
A fire near State Road 70 and Lindrick Lane in Bradenton is contained, Mahoney said. Another fire burned a shed and some tires near Moccasin Wallow in the Palmetto area.
These fires are coming at a time when the state is experiencing abnormally dry conditions — and Friday has been especially windy.
While you might be enjoying the nice pool and beach days, this warm and dry stretch of weather comes at a cost. With drought conditions starting to develop, there is an increased risk of wildfires.
Florida has its own wildfire season from late winter into spring before the rainy season begins.
Just this week, the U.S. Drought Monitor increased west-central Florida to a D0. It's the lowest-level category for drought rankings.
That may not sound like a big deal but with little to no rain in the forecast, we are expecting it to increase to a moderate drought and potentially a severe drought if conditions persist.
The big takeaway is to be smart about anything that could cause a wildfire. Don't throw cigarette buds out the window. Don't leave fires until they are completely out. Listen to local burn bans and other restrictions: they are in place for a reason.
10 Tampa Bay's Tyler Moore contributed to this report.