Firefighters find charred body while putting out South Florida wildfire

OSTEEN, Fla. — Firefighters found a charred body after putting out a brush fire in South Florida on Sunday, while fire crews elsewhere in the drought-stricken state battled wildfires that temporarily closed a highway and forced some residents to be evacuated from their homes.

Pompano Beach fire crews were putting out a fire when they discovered the body, and officials said they could not determine whether the person was a man or woman, WTVJ-TV reported . Firefighters said some people lived in camps in the wooded area, but they did not know if the victim lived there.

Pompano Beach Fire Investigators, the State Fire Marshal and the Broward County Sheriff's Office were investigating the cause of the fire and death.

To the north, more than 900 acres (360 hectares) had burned near Osteen, Volusia County, as of Sunday. The Florida Forest Service said the fire was 90% contained. The fire broke out Saturday and may have been started by the remains of a previous wildfire, Volusia County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Scott Smoak told WESH-TV.

Most of Central and South Florida is currently experiencing drought conditions, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center, with the driest conditions concentrated around Sarasota and Punta Gorda. Outdoor burning of yard debris is currently prohibited by 13 counties in central and southwest Florida, according to the Florida Forest Service.

“We are extremely dry, especially in this part of the county. Any people burning outside, any type of vehicle creating sparks, those are our main concerns,” Smoak said.

So far this year, more than 1,100 wildfires have been reported in Florida, burning more than 24,000 acres (9,800 hectares), the state Forest Service reports.

A smaller fire Saturday in North Port briefly forced the closure of northbound lanes of Interstate 75, with some residents evacuated. The fire was 80% contained Saturday evening, with firefighters saying Sunday they had worked through the night and were continuing to put out hot spots.

In Martin County, smoke lingered Sunday from a fire that started Friday from the remains of a previous fire. A helicopter was dropping water on the fire, WPTV-TV reported, although the fire was 90% contained.

Derek Craver told WPEC-TV he had to evacuate when the fire burned dangerously close to his home.

“We were sitting in the house and the smoke started getting closer. It looked thick. I looked over there and saw flames,” Craver said. “It’s a bit hectic, a bit of panic especially when they tell you to leave.”

No houses were damaged and residents were allowed to return.