Wildfire halted feet from back yards

By ED QUIOCO

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 9, 2001

PINELLAS PARK -- Firefighters battled a wildfire that had wind-driven flames as high as tree tops Sunday, stopping the blaze several feet from the back yards of homes in the Pinebrook Estates neighborhood.

The fire, reported about 3 p.m., charred 2 to 4 acres of dense woods and threatened at least five homes on the west side of 70th Street N, said Pinellas Park Fire District Chief Ray Hansen. It took 25 firefighters from Largo, Seminole and Pinellas Park about 45 minutes to get the flames under control.

"It was pretty hairy there for a while," Hansen said.

Pushed by winds blowing east, the flames burned quickly toward the homes before being contained. Tom Vogl, who lives on 70th Street N, watched as the flames crept closer to his backyard pool. Firefighters parked a fire engine on his front lawn and shot water over his roof.

"If it hadn't been raining during the last two weeks, we would have been in big trouble," said Vogl, 32. "You always read about these (wildfires) or see them on TV. You don't ever think it could happen to you."

The cause of the wildfire was still under investigation. State Division of Forestry officials plowed a firebreak, a 15- to 20-foot-wide path cleared of vegetation that could fuel a fire, between the homes and the charred area.

Residents said they had noticed a burning smell earlier in the day but did not think anything of it because they did not see any smoke.

The wildfire came 15 to 20 feet from Willie Sermons' back yard.

"We were very lucky," said Sermons, 51.

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