Florida Brush Fires Destroy Homes

Thousand Residents Evacuated, Blazes Only 20% Contained

(CBS/AP)  More than 1,000 residents have been evacuated from their homes in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., just south of Daytona Beach on the Atlantic coast, after brush fires threatened their homes. Three homes have been destroyed.

Portions of Interstate 95 and State Route 44 in Brevard and Volusia counties remained closed Monday morning, authorities said.

More than 100 firefighters were working to contain the blaze that scorched about 1,000 acres.

"Fire officials tell us they have 20 percent of the fire contained, but are nowhere near having it under control or put out," reports Deborah Garcia of CBS affiliate WKMG-TV. Residents won't be allowed back into their homes until at least Monday afternoon.

"Visibility is still poor in some of the areas and fire crews, because of the fire, had to shut down the utilities in the area, so there's no power in the evacuation area," city spokeswoman Shannon Lewis said on CBS News' The Early Show Monday.

One firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation, authorities said.

"Our problem is no rain, dry conditions and strong winds," said Greg Dunn, a spokesman for the Division of Forestry.

Wind was expected to continue to be an issue.

"We expect that they will become gustier throughout the day as the sea breezes kick in," Lewis told Early Show co-anchor Reneé Syler.

About 12 miles of I-95 was shut down Monday morning because of smoke from other fires that began Friday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Meanwhile, a 20-mile section of I-95 in Brevard County was closed early Monday morning after smoke from smoldering brush fires blended with fog and blanketed the highway. Authorities blamed the low visibility on a five-vehicle collision that killed two people Sunday.

"The hint to motorists is don't use I-95 in the next couple of days if you don't have to. We want motorists to avoid 95 from Indian River County up to Jacksonville," FHP spokeswoman Kim Miller said.

Troopers were preparing to shut down I-95 in Brevard County around 6:15 a.m. Sunday when a collision involving four trucks and a car killed two people, Miller said.

Rita McSweeney told The Daytona Beach News-Journal the fire was behind her home when she evacuated.

"I could see it through the woods," she said. "The sky was black, black, black, black, and then it would turn fire engine red. It felt like I could reach out and touch the fire."

Edward Beazley said many of his neighbors left their lawn sprinklers running as the clouds of black smoke rolled their way.

"Many of them had very little warning and little time to grab what they wanted. Most just grabbed checkbooks and some money and some quick pictures, but that was all," reports Garcia (audio).

More than 2,200 wildfires have burned over 44,000 acres in Florida since Jan. 1, according to the state Division of Forestry.