Firefighters are battling a 100-acre fire in the Ocala National Forest that is creating smoke this morning near U.S. Highway 19 and County Road 314 in Marion County.
The United States Forest Service in Florida first reported the “Shanty 2 Fire” near the Shanty Pond Campground, just east of U.S. Hwy 19 and south of Salt Springs, at around 8:25 p.m. on Thursday, May 15.
At the time, firefighting crews reported “moderate smoke” impacting the roadway. As firefighting crews began to engage with the fire, at around 8:34 p.m., the size was estimated to be around 15 acres.
At just after 10 p.m., emergency personnel reported that the fire was “continuing to consume” light fuels and needles cast under open timber. Although it was growing, officials estimated the rate of speed to be “low.”
Throughout the wee hours of the night, crews have been continuing to work the edges of the wildfire.
After the USFS issued its statement, the Florida Highway Patrol issued a motorist advisory near the U.S. Highway 19/CR 314 split in Fort McCoy.
“This may affect travel on US-19 and area roadways due to possible smoke on the roadways throughout the night and into the morning hours. Motorists are urged to use caution when traveling in the area as visibility may deteriorate quickly, especially during the nighttime and early morning hours. Motorists are reminded to reduce their speed and utilize low beam headlights to adapt to changing weather conditions,” reads a statement from FHP.
Earlier this week, the USFS reported that nearly an inch of rainfall in some parts of the Ocala National Forest had kept several wildfires within “their respective footprints,” despite smoke continuing to appear from the interiors of other sites.
Over the last several weeks, the forest has maintained elevated fire staffing levels, keeping additional engines, helicopters, and firefighters on hand for the higher volume of incidences.
According to the National Integrated Drought Information System’s Drought Monitor, over 90% of the county is currently classified under some degree of drought. Approximately 53.79% of the county is classified as being under “severe drought,” according to the NIDIS.
That drought monitor also shows that the county is expected to receive anywhere from .5 to 2 inches of rain over the coming week.
Due to the arid conditions, there is currently a voluntary burn ban in place in Marion County.
The wildfire is one of many that have plagued the Ocala National Forest in recent weeks. Over the past few months, firefighters battled a 250-acre fire while also battling two fires believed to have been caused by lightning.
Similar to Thursday’s fire, one of the previous fires heavily impacted CR 314, even leading to an emergency evacuation for local residents living in the area at the time.
In late March, a different wildfire consumed over 500 acres in the Ocala National Forest.