LAKE COUNTY, Fla.,None — Two fires burned in Lake County on Wednesday.
A man-made fire threatened homes in Sorrento, and firefighters said they don't know what caused a 300-acre fire on County Road 33 near Groveland.
Fire crews said the problem is containing the blaze because the area is mostly swamp, which makes its hard for firefighters to get in and build lines in the path of the fire.
Firefighters in Lake County evacuated homes that were close to a brush fire.
The Florida Forest Service told WFTV the Groveland fire burned roughly 300 acres before rain assisted the firefighters.
- Slideshow: Images of Sorrento fire
It was mostly swamp in the path of the Groveland blaze, but that wasn't the case in Sorrento.
"I just got a call from work. They said you need to go it's in your back yard," said Sorrento resident Dawn Barlow.
Firefighters said the blaze came close to homes.
"From what we've heard, it apparently started with an illegal burn in a yard in the area and picked it up and spread really quickly," said Lt. John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Lake County doesn't have a burn ban, but any fire larger than eight feet in diameter requires a permit from the Florida Forest Service, which is investigating the fire as well as the Groveland fire.
The Forest Service said Central Florida's recent dry spell and cold snap made conditions just right for the problems.
"It's real dry, need the rain," said Sorrento resident Ron Barlow.
The only injury WFTVG has been made aware of was a black bear trying to escape the fire in Sorrento. Florida Fish and Wildlife said it has been told it may have an injured bear in the area.
WFTV
