Florida Forest Service Aids in Hawthorne Fire, 100 Hay Bales Destroyed

HAWTHORNE ‒ A pile of burning debris in Hawthorne got out of hand Monday afternoon, Jan. 9. Units from Alachua County Fire Rescue’s (ACFR) Station 62 in Hawthorne were dispatched to the small brush fire off of Southeast 171^st Street in Hawthorne.

Upon Engine 62’s arrival, crews found a large debris pile on fire that had gotten out of control. The fire caught approximately 100 large hay bales on fire and was spreading into the field. Engine 62 immediately requested assistance and additional units from ACFR, the Windsor Fire Department and the Florida Forest Service responded to the scene.

After knocking down the fire, crews established a tanker shuttle due to a lack of fire hydrants in the area and Florida Forest Service used their bulldozers to break down the burning hay bales.

Crews remained on scene for over four hours. Alachua County Fire Rescue would like to remind citizens to please use caution while burning outside in dry conditions.

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