Indian Lake Estates Fires Deemed Suspicious

BARTOW, FL — Several fires reported in the Indian Lake Estates area earlier in the week are under investigation as officials from the Florida Forest Service say the blazes appear to be suspicious in nature.

“There’s no evidence the fires are occurring naturally,” Ricky Britt of the forest service said in a Wednesday April 12 statement. “The cause of the fires needs to be investigated, so investigators will be looking into it.”

According to Polk County Fire Rescue, its firefighters were called out to the community on Monday and Tuesday to extinguish several blazes that had cropped up. Several of the fires creeped close to nearby homes, but damage was averted.

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“Thankfully, we were able to protect the homes,” Fire Chief Anthony Stravino said. “Our crews will continue to do their best. We don’t want anyone to lose their homes.”

Signs are going up in the Indian Lake Estates area warning residents to keep their eyes peeled for suspicious people or activities. Anyone with information about a wildfire that was intentionally set is asked to call 1-800-342-5869. There is a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in wildfire arson cases.

On Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott declared a wildfire-related state of emergency in Florida. Polk County has issued a burn ban, as well.

• See also: Florida On Fire: Blaze Locations, Burn Bans

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