2 Brush Fires Break Out In Lakeland

LAKELAND, FL — Polk County Fire Rescue and Florida Forest Service crews responded to two separate brush fires in Lakeland on Friday. One left structural damage behind while the second was brought under control before it could do much harm, officials said.

The first fire was reported just before 12:30 p.m. April 21 in the 10900 block of Sportsman Trail in north Lakeland.

“A lawn mower started the fire,” an email from Polk County Fire Rescue said. “Dry conditions and heavy fire fuel caused the fire to spread quickly.”

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That blaze had reached 7 acres before it was brought under control around 2:40 p.m. The fire damaged a double-wide home and a garage, the email said.

Just as crews were getting that blaze under control, the second was reported around 3 p.m. near Monroe Drive. That fire broke out in a populated area and covered about 4 acres, the agency reported. No structural damage was reported with the Monroe Drive fire. Its cause remains under investigation.

Polk County has issued an outdoor burn ban as dry conditions continue throughout the region.

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