HENDRY COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Forest Service contained a large brush fie near LaBelle on Tuesday after crews battled flames for hours.
WATCH: Ride along as the Florida Forest Service battles a large Hendry County brush fire:
The fire engulfed 65.5 acres near Helms Road and Summer Driver, just south of the growing Port LaBelle neighborhood. The fire started at just three acres but quickly grew much larger, according to Jesse Lavender with the Florida Forest Service.
“It’s not uncommon," Lavender said. "Especially with the wind we had today.”
Firefighters across Southwest Florida are battling through a busier-than-normal dry season. Lavender said an early drought is fueling brush fires.
FOX 4 Meteorologist Katie Walls said Southwest Florida received almost a foot of rain below average during the wet season. No tropical systems moved across the area and rainfall was limited to isolated areas.
The Forest Service deployed several units including a helicopter and bulldozers. Multiple agencies responded to the fire including Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District, Fort Myers Shores Fire Department, and the Hendry County Sheriff's Office.
Neighbors also helped control the flames on Tuesday. Gary Milicevic said he helped battle the fire in a tractor after part of his ranch caught on fire. Milicevic, who is an experienced farmer, said the fire actually helped him.
"Well, I wanted to burn that area anyhow," Milicevic said. "So it didn't bother me that bad."
Hendry County, much like the rest of Southwest Florida, is under a burn ban.
The fire was a little more jarring to people who recently moved into the new subdivision just a few blocks away. Viviana Hernandez and Juan Cano returned to the neighborhood on Tuesday night to find emergency vehicles lined up the street.
“We were kind of worried, I’m not going to lie,” Hernandez said.
They quickly relaxed after learning the fire was contained.
The Forest Service said there are no injuries and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
