Forest Service, local departments monitoring island fire on Escambia River

MILTON, Fla. – Firefighters from the Florida Forest Service responded to reports of a wildfire in western Santa Rosa County along the shores of the Escambia River. The fire is contained to a small parcel of land in the Escambia River marsh but crews cannot make access and will monitor it throughout the weekend.

The fire is in the area known as Noriegas Island and is surrounded by water. Aerial estimates put the island at about 10 acres and the current fire size is less than 1 acre.

Smoke is likely to persist throughout the evening and into the night and could impact U.S. 90. Drivers are urged to use caution if they encounter smoke on the roads and treat as if they were driving in fog. Motorists should turn on their low beam headlights or pull safely off the road until conditions improve.

The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages 37 state forests on more than 1 million acres of public forest land while protecting 26 million acres of homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire.