How to keep your home safe after a bushfire approaches homes

Flames from a brush fire moved alarmingly close to homes in St. Lucie County on Monday.

As homeowner Adrian Martinez assessed the charred brush left by a fire in his yard, he counted his blessings.

“Luckily there was no structural damage, just a lot of burned brush, as you can see,” Martinez said. “You know we were fortunate not to suffer any damage to our home and obviously our safety.”

The St. Lucie County Fire District said several calls came in shortly after 1 p.m. Monday about a brush fire near Northwest Dowell Court.

“This was an area of ​​land between residential lots with heavy fuel oil,” said Capt. Andres Elizondo, St. Lucie County Fire Marshal. “Crews did a great job positioning themselves between the structures and protecting them while putting out the fire.”

Martinez and the neighboring home were ordered to evacuate due to the proximity of the fire.

“My wife and kids were outside with my pets,” Martinez said. “When we got the call about the fire, I didn't expect it to be so close to my deck there, about 3 feet away.”

Fire investigators are still working to determine the cause. Although no property was damaged, pine needles on the roof of one of the homes caught fire. That's why officials with the St. Lucie County Fire District are urging people to do their part and keep the fire from spreading.

“Create defensible space around their homes, clean out any dead or dried out foliage anywhere, clean their gutters, keep their roofs clean,” Elizondo said.

The incident occurs in a context of severe drought and a burning ban in St. Lucie County. These problems won't go away with just a little rain in the forecast.

“Continued rain over an extended period of time is really what we're looking for right now to help saturate the soil and fuel in these dry areas,” Elizondo added.

It's a lesson learned for owners like Martinez.

“[I] We definitely need to reduce brush in these dry conditions,” he said.

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