PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Firefighters and emergency workers were battling two massive wildfires in an area of the Florida Panhandle that was still recovering from the destruction caused by a Category 5 hurricane more than three years ago.
The 9,000-acre Bertha Swamp Road fire and the 1,400-acre Adkins Avenue fire threatened homes and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents in Bay County, Florida, over the weekend.
The Adkins Avenue fire destroyed two structures and damaged another 12 homes late Friday.
Local emergency officials said no homes were destroyed and there were no injuries on Saturday, the second day of battling the Adkins Avenue fire.
Hundreds of thousands of acres of downed trees from the 2018 hurricane, along with low humidity and strong winds, have created "the perfect storm" for hazardous fire conditions in Bay County, Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference in Panama City Saturday.
“This is not a surprise," DeSantis said.
DeSantis spoke in Panama City on Sunday. He was able to tour the damage the wildfires have caused thus far.
The governor also made note that Sunday's windy and hot weather is what's been contributing to the quickly moving wildfires that have consumed thousands of acres.
A number of city, county and state officials are working around the clock to ensure the safety of communities in the areas near the wildfires. DeSantis said so far, 1,100 homes have been evacuated in the Bay County area.
Responding firefighters have been injured while battling the two wildfires, DeSantis said, but he didn't specify the extent of their injuries.
More than 200 firefighters and emergency workers from around the Panhandle worked overnight Friday to strengthen containment lines and protect homes. As of Sunday afternoon, the Bertha Swamp Road fire was 10 percent contained, while the Adkins Avenue fire was 35 percent contained, according to the Florida Forest Service.
Fire officials are working diligently to fight the fire. Since Friday, officials said Florida Forest Service helicopters have dropped 103,000 gallons of water on the Adkins Avenue fire.
According to a report from the Associated Press, there are nearly 150 wildfires burning more than 12,100 acres (about 4,900 hectares) throughout Florida, and the state is only at the very beginning of its wildfire season.
Authorities said if you're looking to help people in the Florida Panhandle affected by the wildfires, you can donate with the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross.
"I would be suspect on GoFundMe unless it's somebody that you personally know," Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said.
10 Tampa Bay's Courtney Holland and Jordan Highsmith contributed to this report.