Crews extinguish 100-acre brush fire in Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Florida Forest Service and Orange County Fire Rescue crews extinguished a 100-acre brush fire Friday.

The blaze ignited shortly before 1 p.m. near Reynolds Parkway and Bancroft Boulevard in Orange County's Wedgefield neighborhood.

Officials said 10 homes were evacuated, but residents were allowed to return to their homes Friday afternoon.

Firefighters will monitor the scorched woodlands overnight to ensure the fire doesn't rekindle.

Homeowner Lorraine Row said she is grateful that firefighters were able to protect her dream home from flames that crept within 20 feet of it.

"They had told me your house is OK, but when I pulled up and saw how close (the fire) was, that really hit me," she said. "Seeing how close it really was, it scared me at first."

Although no homes were damaged, Row's camper was destroyed. Her husband, a retired Orlando firefighter, lived in it while he built their home.

"It's OK, because nobody was in it," she said. "It wasn't a home for anyone."

The firefighters who helped the Row family build the home are the firefighters who helped protect it Friday.

"Today, I was humbled at what (firefighters) do and (was) just very touched," she said. "I have a lot of confidence in them."

Cox Media Group