MARION COUNTY, Fla. – Widespread rain swept across Central Florida on Sunday as the U.S. Forest Service and Florida Forest Service worked to contain ongoing brush fires in Marion County.

The SE 1st Street Fire, reported at 150 acres as of Friday, had since been mapped at 256 acres and was 80% contained as of Saturday evening, according to a news release. The fire had prompted an evacuation order Friday evening for Highway 314 in east Marion County which was rescinded within several hours of being issued. Sunday’s rain was expected to greatly assist the last stages of the operation, the release states.

“Today’s rain is a welcome respite. It has, however, also brought lightning with it and as we know lightning can ignite fires in root systems that smolder unseen until fuels dry out. When that happens they can emerge into fresh fuel and fan to life as was the case recently with the Fernadez Fire,” the release states. “By no means is today’s precipitation a ‘season ending event.’ The sun will come out, temps will rise again, and fuels will dry. Continue to be vigilant for signs of fire going into the week and call in smoke reports to 911.”

Two other fires mentioned in the release had been either largely or totally extinguished at the time of this report. The Lynne Fire — NE 10th Street Road, North of State Road 40 and Waldena Lake — had seen good progress made in the last few days despite the amount of accumulated swamp duff, the release states, adding crews would continue to monitor it daily in the short term. The Narrow 2 Fire — a car fire along FR 88 / 11 — was taken care of by two USFS engines and a dozer, extinguished at .01 acres, according to the release.

There remains a high fire danger in Marion County with relative humidity percentages in the 30s to low 40s, the release states, urging readers to be cautious of ignition sources during ongoing burn bans in Marion and Lake counties.