In St. Johns County, Florida, firefighters faced a challenging start to the year as they battled a planned brush fire that had spiraled out of control. The fire, which began in the 1700 block of County Road 13A North in the western part of the county, quickly spread into the surrounding wooded areas.

Upon arriving at the scene, firefighters from St. Johns County discovered the flames had advanced significantly. They received crucial support from both the Florida Forest Service and the St. Augustine Fire Department, who joined forces to re-establish containment lines and prevent further spread.

By approximately 4:30 p.m., the fire was deemed contained, although it had already affected 15 acres. To ensure complete safety, monitoring efforts were scheduled to continue throughout the evening.

The fire was considered contained at around 4:30 p.m., but not before it expanded to 15 acres. Monitoring is planned throughout the evening.

St. Johns County Fire Rescue spokesperson Chris Naff told First Coast News late Thursday afternoon that no homes were at risk, no injuries were reported, and no evacuations were called. 

Naff said the fire appeared to be caused by a New Year’s Eve burn from the owners of the property. Although they may have thought they put it out, an ember appeared to have gotten loose and flared up due to the ongoing dry conditions.

Earlier in the containment process, people in St. Augustine may have noticed the smoke due to east-blowing winds. Fire Rescue said smoke will remain in the area overnight and advised drivers to use caution if traveling nearby.

There is concern that wind could blow embers to other areas and start new fires.

“We’re going to continue to have these winds for the next couple of days, so we’re just asking residents to be vigilant, make sure everything is fully extinguished. Even go a little bit further, make sure you have a hose running on it for a while,” Naff said.