 HAINES
CITY, Florida (CNN) -- A brush fire fueled by wind and arid conditions
grew to 1,000 acres Sunday in central Florida, as dozens of firefighters
worked to bring the flames back under control.
At least 80
firefighters from the Florida state Division of Forestry, Polk
County and other fire agencies were working to douse the flames,
but were having trouble getting equipment in, said Division of
Forestry spokeswoman Chris Kintner.
"They're
doing some back burning so they can get it under control,"
Kintner said. Tractor plow units from the Division of Forestry
were clearing away the flammable underbrush to create a line to
slow the fire's growth.
As many as
half of the firefighters from the Division of Forestry were devoted
to the Haines City fire, Kintner said.
The 1,000-acre
fire, which was about 70 percent contained Sunday, was burning
at the edge of Lake Lowery, a dried lake bed in this city, located
about 25 miles southwest of Orlando. It grew from about 500 acres
Saturday night.
At least one
home was damaged, but about 40 others were saved when firefighters
managed to redirect the flames, Kintner said.
No injuries
were reported. While no official evacuations were called, many
residents had chosen on their own to leave.
The cause
was unknown, but Kintner said investigators were looking into
a report that a young girl's four-wheeler may have accidentally
sparked the flames when its tailpipe caught fire.
"We have
an investigator checking into it," Kintner said. "It's
still suspicious. It will be under investigation for a little
while."
Like much
of the Southeast, Florida has suffered through three consecutive
years of drought. Kintner blamed two other minor brush fires in
Polk County Sunday on the dry conditions.
She said yard
burning by area residents also posed a danger.
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