Fire burns 15 acres near Frostproof Prison

FROSTPROOF, Fla. – A wildfire has burned 15 acres near a prison just off U.S. Highway 98 in Frostproof.

Several agencies are on site trying to bring the fire under control. The Florida Forest Service and Polk County Fire Rescue are setting up lines to prevent the fire from spreading.

For now, crews say the flames have hit a damp spot and are burning much more slowly. No evacuations have been ordered for the prison and the Florida Forest Service says no buildings are threatened.

But Forest Service and fire crews were still busy over the past 24 hours in Polk County. Just 13 miles away, they are battling three large brush fires near River Ranch and Indian Lake Estates.

Those fires burned 4,500 acres in the River Ranch area, according to Todd Chlanda of the Florida Forest Service. Although the recent rain has helped, he says crews aren't out of the woods yet.

“Although this is a temporary solution, tomorrow the sun will rise, the wind will blow,” Chlanda said at the scene. “And we're going to return to dry conditions because at that point the vegetation is going to absorb all the moisture it can.”

Although the fire mainly destroyed vegetation, some buildings and camps in the area were damaged. The access gates to the campsites will remain closed for the moment, according to Chlanda.

“We urge people to be very cautious and cautious during any outdoor activity that has anything to do with an open flame, heat, grinding, anything that could cause sparks or have an open flame,” Chlanda said .