NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla — A brush fire in the woods near the Shell Factory had crews fighting flames they say were sparked by a homeless encampment.
Fox 4’s North Fort Myers Community Correspondent Austin Schargorodski works in this area daily, so he rushed over when he heard about it.
Click here to see what the fire looked like from the sky:
You could see smoke pouring from the woods off US-41 as crews shut down two lanes to fight the fire. North Fort Myers Fire says the Florida Forestry Service helped cut a fire line with a skid steer, clearing a path for bigger trucks to come in and put it out.
Fire fighters say they kept the blaze to about two acres. But for William Beal, the roadblock meant he couldn’t get back to his mother.
“I’m anxious because my mom lives in the park and they’re not letting me in to help her. She’s on oxygen and I’m worried about her,” Beal said.
North Fort Myers Fire says the fire started around 12:45 and no buildings were threatened.
They say most brush fires like this are caused by people, so it’s important to be careful - avoid idling vehicles on dry grass and keep water close if you’re burning anything.
