Florida county urges residents to evacuate due to wildfire

A Florida county is pushing residents to evacuate due to a fast-moving wildfire, with officials issuing a state of emergency.

The Adkins fire moving through Bay County, Florida, had blazed across 800 acres as of Friday evening and resulted in 600 homes being evacuated, the Florida Forest Service tweeted. The area between the south of Highway 231 and the east side of Transmitter Road is under mandatory evacuation. 

The fire, which has so far destroyed two homes and damaged at least a dozen others, apparently started after a homeowner burning trash was not able to control the fire, according to the Panama City News Herald. Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) office responded to the blaze with an emergency ban on burning trash. 

Authorities have set up an emergency area for evacuees at the Hiland Park Baptist Church in Panama City. 

The Florida Forest Service warned earlier in the day Friday that fire dangers are currently at a higher level in the state due to low humidity.