POLK COUNTY, Fla. - The Florida Forest Service will be back out at the River Ranch Hunting Club today to combat a wildfire that started on June 5, 2024.
When units arrived on the scene, several fires were present within the River Ranch Hunt Club in southeast Polk County.
Some of these fires have burned together and the incident was changed to a complex fire to make it easier to manage.
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Yesterday, the Florida Forest Service had 18 tractor/plow units, 5 heavy tractors, 10 brush trucks, 2 helicopters, a fixed-wing aircraft, and approximately 25 support personnel working the fire.
This includes 2 Task Force Teams from our northern Florida Forest Service districts. Each Task Force included 1 heavy tractor, 2 tractor/plow units and 3 brush trucks.
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Polk County Fire Rescue assisted with structure protection and providing brush trucks. Polk County Sheriff's Office and Florida Highway Patrol assisted with traffic control.
Most of the fire activity is in the hunting portion of the area. This area is primarily a wooded area without camps. There was some fire activity in the camp area and some camps were damaged or lost.
"It is still to early to determine how many camps were damaged as we are still in suppression mode. Our Ag Law personnel (investigators) have been called in to begin the investigation portion of the fire," said the Florida Forest Service.
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There were two injuries reported so far. Both were treated and released for smoke inhalation and are back working.
The Florida Forest Service is still asking people to be extremely cautious with any outdoor activities involving an open flame, or activities that cause sparks (welding, grinding, etc.)
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