100 flee from Polk wildfire
BILL HEERY of The Tampa Tribune
Published: Apr 13, 2001
About 100 people were evacuated from their homes and one house received minor
damage Thursday when a wildfire swept through a rural community in
southeastern Polk County. The fire was reported about 3 p.m. in Indian Lake
Estates and was 80 percent contained by 9 p.m., with no homes in danger at
that time, said state Division of Forestry spokeswoman Anne Malatesta. No
injuries were reported, and most of the evacuees had returned home by 7:30
p.m. The cause of the fire had not been determined, Malatesta said. The fire
was in a southeast quadrant of the 7,500-acre development off State Road 60.
The community has 8,100 lots, but only between 500 and 600 homes, according
to Gail Morrow, a Realtor at the development and a resident. Many of the
residents are seasonal and have already returned to their northern homes, she
said. Most of the lots without homes are wooded. The rear of the development
borders on Lake Weohyakapka. Three DC-3 air tankers dumped fire retardant on
the roofs of homes in the fire area and around the fire to aid Division of
Forestry tractors which were digging a fire line to keep the blaze from
spreading, Malatesta said. At least two helicopters picked up buckets of
water from a water hazard on the development's golf course and dumped it on
the fire, she said. The Polk County Fire Department and firefighters from
other agencies aided forestry officials in fighting the blaze. Ursula Kobi,
76, a resident, nervously watched the billows of smoke from a small shopping
plaza at the entrance to Indian Lakes. She and her husband had returned from
a doctor's appointment about 5 p.m. when they were not allowed into the
development. But she later expressed relief when she learned the fire was a
considerable distance from her home. By dark, the smoke had lessened
considerably. David Cash, Polk County's emergency management director, said
about 70 to 75 homes were without electricity. He said he did not know
whether the fire damaged electrical wire serving those homes or whether the
power was cut off for safety reasons. Power was expected to be restored by 11
p.m., he said. Evacuees were sent to the development's clubhouse. By 7:45
p.m., only a family group of about 25 people from New York, visiting in-laws
who reside at Indian Lakes, remained at the clubhouse. They were allowed to
return to the home shortly thereafter. Mike Endress, a member of the group,
said he was playing golf when some of the kids in the group came and told him
there was a fire. He said the smoke initially was away from the home but the
wind shifted and the blaze came within about 40 yards of the rear of his
in-laws' house. ``As we were leaving, a plane dumped a load of retardant on
top of the garage,'' he said. Cash said the Division of Forestry and the
county fire department would leave some personnel and equipment on the scene
overnight. Bill Heery can be reached at (863) 683-6538.
Gray Fox Weather Service
http://members.fortunecity.com/artiestevens/grayfoxtropical
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