Dozens of homes lost as Florida battles wildfires

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Firefighters in the Brevard County town of Palm Bay have spent more than 48 hours battling the state's biggest blaze, which has damaged about 70 homes and scorched 3,500 acres, or about 5 1/2 square miles.

"Everytime I turn around another house is on fire. We don't have enough resources on our own to do a job like this," said Palm Bay spokeswoman Yvonne Martinez.

Officials expressed concern early Tuesday after flare-ups overnight. Flare-ups when humidity is higher can be a bad sign because fire spreads even more quickly during the drier and windier daylight hours, said Palm Bay Assistant Fire Chief Jim Stables.

"It's going to be challenging to get the fire under control," he said.

A 34-mile stretch of Interstate 95 in Brevard County and a portion of U.S. Highway 1 was closed in the area. All 18 schools in Palm Bay, including charter schools, will be closed Tuesday.

Just south of Palm Bay, a 3,000-acre blaze destroyed at least four homes in nearby Malabar, including the house Butch Vanfleet built in 1980 and tried in vain to protect with a garden hose.

"It's devastation," he said. "All you see is nothing but ash in between the palm trees and the palmetto. There's no grass. The fire just came so quickly, we barely got out of there."

Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency Monday as dry, windy weather worsened conditions. His orders allow Florida to use federal funds and bring local emergency workers under state control. It also allows Florida to call on other states for help, if necessary.

Firefighters may get some help Tuesday, since winds on the coast were expected to slow to 10 to 15 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

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