News-Press.com

Fires around Lake Okeechobee continue to burn

By news-press.com

May 6, 2008

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/GREEN/80506014/1075

About 3,500 acres continue to burn around the Lake Okeechobee area today.

There are two fires in the marshy areas of Lake Okeechobee that are burning, one is in the grass islands and is burning about 2,000 acres and the other 1,500 are in the Myakka Cut, said Jim Brenner, fire management administrator for the Florida Division of Forestry.

"These are very marshy areas so it is impossible for our people to get to it," Brenner said. "We are managing any problems with the smoke and that's all we are able to do at this time."

Brenner said the fire in the grass islands is threatening a small hunting camp that is on stilts, but no homes or other properties are being threatened.

Although it is smoky on some of the roads and highways surrounding the fires, no roads have been closed, but people are advised to be ready to pull off the road if the smoke gets heavy.