Firefighters are on the scene of two separate wildfires that broke out just minutes apart on Friday afternoon in Citrus and Hernando counties. One fire was triggered by a lightning strike in an Inverness marsh, while the sizes of both blazes remain unknown as crews work to contain them.
Local Response
The first fire started around 4:45 p.m. in Citrus County. State officials from the Florida Forest Service’s Withlacoochee Forestry Center confirmed that a lightning strike started a fire in Inverness. The flames are currently burning through a marsh area near South Circle Drive. Citrus County Fire Rescue is working alongside the state foresters to manage the situation.
Minutes later, at 4:55 p.m., emergency calls came in for a separate fire in Hernando County. That blaze is located near Lomita Wren Road in Brooksville. The Withlacoochee Forestry Center and Hernando County Fire Rescue responded to the scene immediately.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
