OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A 10-acre brush fire forced the evacuation of several homes off Jupiter Drive in Osceola County on Tuesday afternoon, leaving charred trees, smoldering ground, and a shaken but grateful community.
Fire officials say the blaze, which ignited amid dry conditions, prompted the evacuation of nine homes as a precaution. No injuries or structural damages were reported.
The fire was reported near Topeka Avenue and Jupiter Drive, east of Holopaw.
Candace Bloodworth, who lives near Jupiter Drive, described the moment she realized something was wrong.
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“I was home. My daughter was on the front porch and she came inside and said the whole neighborhood is smokey,” Bloodworth said. “I ran outside to see what was going on, and it was huge. We live on the front side, and this was more towards the back, but you could clearly see something was burning.”
Video from Sky 6 showed thick smoke approaching homes in the area, leading to swift action from fire crews and concerned residents. Bloodworth said she and others assisted an elderly couple in safely evacuating their home.
“There was an older couple that another friend of mine knows really well, so I knew they needed help to get out of their house just in case. We helped get them out,” she said. “It was definitely neighbors helping neighbors.”
Bloodworth also monitored a friend’s property to ensure her dogs were safely evacuated.
Nearby residents Mike Eberenz and Sherry Rebell watched as emergency crews worked to contain the blaze.
“She called me, and I jumped in my truck to see what was going on. There was smoke everywhere, cops everywhere, fire trucks—it was a lot going on,” Eberenz said.
The couple said they are thankful the fire did not spread further.
“We’re definitely thankful no structures were damaged and nobody was injured,” Rebell said. “It could be devastating with the winds, like what we’ve seen everywhere else, like in California. We don’t want that here.”
Osceola County Fire Rescue was able to contain and knock down the fire with the help of the Florida Forest Service and Brevard County Fire Rescue, according to a news release.
Fire officials say they will continue to monitor conditions as fire risks remain high in the area.