State Road 60 in Polk County has reopened after smoke from a massive brush fire forced officials to shut down part of the road for hours Friday morning.
The road was closed from Walk in Water Road east to Yeehaw Junction in Osceola County. County Road 630, which can be used to access the Indian Lake Estates community, also was shut down for some time Friday morning.
The fire had burned about 4,000 acres by Thursday night, and destroyed nine mobile homes and two houses. No one was injured, but fire officials said a dog died in the blaze.
More than a dozen firefighters remained in the area overnight, watching for flareups and hotspots.
Polk County Fire Rescue spokesman Kevin Watler said the fire was contained Thursday, but not out. Residents in the nearby Indian Lakes Estates were allowed to stay in their homes, but officials warned anyone camping at the River Ranch Hunt Club should seek shelter.
Forecasters are expecting humidity levels to be low Friday afternoon, which could help ignite the fire, Watler said. But calm winds should make it easier to control.
The fire is just one of several that burned thousands of acres across Central Florida this week.
Florida Fire Service officials say most of Central Florida has a high risk of wildfires on Friday. Seminole County has a “very high” risk.
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