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Rifle Range Road wildfire east of Naples burns 650 acres, 45 percent contained

Eighty-acre brush fire burning in the Picayune Strand State Forest in Collier County Monday.
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A brush fire burning in the Picayune Strand State Forest in Collier County Monday.

An active wildfire east of Naples and south of Interstate 75 in the Picayune Strand State Forest burned 650 acres and was 45 percent contained as of 9 p.m. Monday.

The Caloosahatchee Unit of the Florida Forest Service and Greater Naples Fire Rescue crews, alongside the Collier County Strike Team, were working the fire, which is east of the Azure community at the end of Rattlesnake Hammock.

The Greater Naples Fire Rescue District reported that voluntary evacuations have expired and people that went to the Max Hasse Community Center rally point can now return home.

Heavy rains were also moving through the brush fire areas on Monday afternoon.
FDOT
Heavy rains were also moving through the brush fire areas on Monday afternoon.

A second, smaller fire was also burning in Collier, north of I-75. That fire, called the Inez Fire, was about 135 acres and 90 percent contained as of 8 p.m. Earlier voluntary mandatory evacuations were in place. The Greater Naples Fire Rescue was working alongside the Lee County South Strike Team on the fire.

Both fires were being hit by heavy rains moving through the area Monday afternoon, which helped dampen the Inez fire.

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