Pasco Fires Close Road, Bike Trail

LAND O’ LAKES, FL — Pasco County Fire Rescue officials are asking folks to steer clear of Silver Palm Boulevard as a wildfire continues to burn in the area. According to the county, only residents of the Suncoast Lakes subdivision and emergency vehicles are being allowed on the road, which intersects with State Road 52.

The Silver Palm fire is one of two wildfires that broke out in Pasco County along the State Road 52 corridor on Monday. The fire had spread to about 25 acres as of Tuesday morning and was considered only about 25 percent contained.

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Wildfire activity has also closed the Suncoast Bike Trail south of State Road 52 and north of the Starkey connection. Authorities reported Tuesday afternoon that the closing would last until further notice.

The second Pasco County fire, dubbed the Campground fire, had grown to about 75 acres in size Tuesday morning. That fire is burning in the Starkey Wilderness Preserve’s Serenova Tract. It was considered 75 percent contained as of Tuesday morning.

The two Pasco County wildfires continued to burn as Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency due to an estimated 100 fires burning across the state.

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Photo courtesy of Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources