Outside cooking fire ignites brush fire that destroys N. Hooty Pt., Inverness mobile home
Inverness, Florida - At 12:16 am, early Tuesday morning, March 28, 2023, Citrus County Fire Rescue responded N. Hooty Pt. in Inverness due to the report of a brush fire with structures in danger. Firefighters arrived on scene to find a large structure fully involved with fire, which had spread to an approximately half-acre brush fire. Firefighters also found a mobile home on the property that was destroyed by fire, with a small brush fire on its perimeter.
The first arriving crews were assigned to control the perimeter brush fire, which was under control by 12:50 am, and additional crews extinguished the main structure fire, which was was brought under control by 12:55 am. The residence was a total loss. The last unit cleared the scene at 3:30 am. No injuries were reported.
The report stated that firefighters spoke with a persoon who told them that he lives outside the mobile home on the property, and he was cooking when the embers flew out onto the brush, and the brush ignited into fire which spread to the home on the property. Firefighters found two cooking burn pits that contained heated embers next to the open burned area.
Florida Forest Service arrived on scene to assist with the fire. The power company secured the power at the pole and advised firefighters that there was no power to the residence.
Firefighters from the Hernando, Pine Ridge, Kensington, Floral City, and Highlands fire stations responded to the fire, along with a Safety Captain.
For more information about Citrus County Fire Rescue, visit its website at www.CitrusCountyFire.com, its Facebook page at Facebook.com/CitrusCountyFireRescue, or its Twitter feed at Twitter.com/CitrusCoFire. Citrus County Fire Rescue can be contacted by phone at (352) 527-5406 - or 24/7 in an emergency within Citrus County, Florida - by dialing 911.