Fire Danger: 250 acres up in smoke

(Northern Okeechobee County) Miles of dry grass. All it took was a spark from a lawnmower to quickly turn into a 250 acre fire.

"With the intense high winds, it just ran as fast as it could." said Division of Forestry's Melissa Yunas, "The killing frost that came through, the 2 killing frosts that came through and dried out all the dead vegetation, was a major factor in this year's drought."

The fire quickly burned towards homes and cattle off state road 68, near SR98. 

"I am a schoolteacher and they calle dme and said have you got a call? I said no, I looked out my classroom window to the north and I didn't like what I saw." said Buddy MIlls, who went to save the his home and 3 others surrounded by the fire.

"You know unless.. unless you have experienced it, you are helpless. The feeling is helpless. It is fear, when you see it coming and you have absolutely no control of it, you think the worst. You wonder where are you gonna sleep, what you will eat, what you will wear. It was a big fire. It was headed our way."

Mills got his cattle in place, and the horses ready to evacuate.

"The horses get pretty nervous in a situation like that, the cattle do too."

Division of Forestry and Okeechobee Fire Rescue held back the fire, stopping it right at Buddy's gate.

Homes, horses, and livlihood saved.

"They are professionals and they did their job and did it well." Mills said.

This is one of 4 major fires in the state this week.

To the south, Lake Okeechobee's grassbed is burning 5,800 acres and growing near Moorehaven, creating a smoke problem for nearby homes and roads. Moorehaven's fire, started as 2 separate fires and burned into one big one, is thought to be arson.

One small fire flared up in Loxahatchee today as well.

Division of Foresty is warning you to be very careful with cigarettes and lawn equiptment. Fire season is very much here and they say it will take a major storm event to get us out of the drought and fire danger.