A number of wildfires were burning in various stages of containment around Southwest Florida on Monday.
From Sarasota and Manatee counties through Charlotte County, down to Lee and Collier counties and over to Glades and DeSoto counties active wildfires were reported.
A 232-acre fire in the Myakka State Forest called the South River Road fire in Sarasota County was about 50 percent contained Monday evening. A second fire in the state forest was three acres and 95 percent contained.
North Port Fire Rescue reported that residents may see smoke and experience falling ash Monday evening as crews continue to battle the lightning-caused brush fires.
The initial call was received at 2:11 p.m. There are currently no reports of structures being threatened.
North Port Fire Rescue was augmented by Englewood Fire Control District, Nokomis Fire Department, Sarasota County Emergency Services, North Port Police Department, Air 2, and the Florida Forest Service. Fire suppression efforts remain ongoing, and crews may remain on scene throughout the night.
Two other fires were reported but containment was not available in Sarasota County, one by Orange Hammock Ranch and another called the Lightning Field Fire #1 was just north of that site.
Just east of those fires were three in DeSoto County. Containment and acreage numbers were not available for the Lightning Field Fires #2 and #3. A 15-acre blaze, the 4L fire, was not yet contained, the Myakka Unit of the Forest Service reported.
In Glades County, the 275-acre Platt Trap fire was about 50 percent contained and just west of Palmdale a fire was reported but no containment or acreage numbers posted.
In Charlotte County, the 130-acre North Fore Myers-Charlotte fire was reported east of I-75 and was about 25 percent contained. Two other wildfires were just west of that with the one-acre Granville Road fire 95 percent contained and the Briarwood Road fire reporting no containment or acreage numbers as of 8 p.m.
In northern Lee County two fires were burning on opposite sides of U.S. 41. The Yellow Fever Preserve fire was about 70 percent contained in 4 acres and the three-acrea Downhill fire was 60 percent contained, according to the Caloosahatchee Unit of the Forest Service.
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