NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Several fire departments battled a brush fire in North Fort Myers Monday afternoon. The thick plumes of black smoke that rose from the trees along Heck Drive also caused a few heart rates to rise.
"It is pretty alarming and concerning whenever it is something that is happening right in your own area," said Heather Lowe, as she watched the crews work to contain the fire.
Helicopters dropped big buckets of water onto the flames to help the crews on the ground. The people down below were also concerned the dry conditions could fuel more brush fires.
"We haven't had much rain and with it being this dry, these fires spread very quickly and be very damaging in such a short period of time," said Lowe.
The fire threatened some homes, but thanks to the fire crews, no structures were damaged or destroyed.
Gale Ritter and her property have survived brush fires in the past, which helped ease her stress. "We've had this kind of stuff happen years ago. I've lived here for fourteen years," said Ritter.
She also had the support of her grandchildren, who came running when they saw all the smoke. "It's wonderful, I got a good family that's all I can say. They are wonderful," she said.
People living in the North Fort Myers neighborhood grateful for the teams of fire fighters for their hard work.
"If it wasn't for them risking their lives, taking that chance all of these people would lose their homes and have to start all over," said Lowe.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
#HendryCounty #ChurchFire actively burning in pasture w/ pine & gallberry, 25-30 acres, brush trucks working the left flank #wildfire
— Caloosahatchee FC (@FFS_cafc) April 10, 2017
#HeckRdFire updated to 10 acres and 10% with multiple structures threatened #wildfire #FLfire
— Caloosahatchee FC (@FFS_cafc) April 10, 2017
Video credit: Susan Burford.
