PANAMA CITY -- The biggest of three wildfires in northwest Florida is growing and threatening to force evacuations in a second county.
The Bertha Swamp Road fire near Panama City is now up to 28 thousand acres and is spreading from Bay County into Calhoun County. The Bear Creek area remains under evacuation notice.
Governor DeSantis says residents should follow any evacuation orders. "You're not going to get a mulligan on this if you stay behind and the fire moves into your neighborhood." State emergency manager Kevin Guthrie says this might be a good night to "go ro Port St. Joe or Blountstown," two nearby communities not threatened by fires right now. Bay, Calhoun and Gulf counties are in a state of emergency due to wildfires.
Firefighters are having more success with containing the other two fires and some evacuations are being lifted. Rain moving into the Florida Panhandle overnight may help them gain the upper hand, although it could also spawn lightning and tornadoes.
The Department of Economic Opportunity is announcing more than six million dollars in assistance for affected residents to help with issues such as transportation, temporary housing, and tree removal. DEO secretary Dane Eagle asks businesses to go to floridadisaster.biz to report how their firms are being impacted by the storm.
While the Bertha Swamp Road fire continues to grow, the situation is improving with the two other wildfires affecting Bay County.
The Adkins fire is 50 percent contained at 875 acres, and the Star Road fire is 60 percent contained at 250 acres. Only one school will be closed Wednesday in Bay County.
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