Big Pine Key Fire - Arson?

Someone may have set a brush fire on Big Pine Key that burned eight acres overnight Wednesday, state fire officials said Thursday. Investigators believe one source of the fire was an abandoned truck in the woods near 24th Street. "It looks like there may have been another area that was intentionally lit on fire as well," said Scott Peterich, Division of Forestry Wildfire mitigation specialist.

Residents told investigators an empty concrete structure near the burned older-model Ford pickup is a popular hangout for children, Monroe County's Assistant Fire Marshal Wally Romero said. The fire still was smouldering at press time Thursday, fueled by a combination of dense vegetation and extremely dry conditions, brought on by South Florida's severe drought. "There is a huge amount of flammable fuel out there," Peterich said, adding that the fire still needed constant attention. With several thousand hot spots and burning stumps, a windblown burning ember could ignite an unburned area.

The burned area is from Wilder Road to Cunningham Lane and from U.S. 1 to 24th Street. Firefighters from Big Pine Key, Sugarloaf and Marathon used heavy equipment to prevent the fire from spreading. Tanker trucks and several helicopters from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission dumped water on the area.

"It takes a lot of water," Peterich said. "Eight acres is a lot of land."

Citizen Staff Writer Ann Henson contributed to this report.
rbusweiler@keysnews.com

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