Pasco Wildfire Grows To 2,270 Acres

LAND O’ LAKES, FL — A wildfire that's forced the closing of the Suncoast Parkway until Sunday at least had grown to an estimated 2,270 acres as of Saturday night.

The updated figures were provided just before 9 p.m. May 6 by the Florida Forest Service. At last report, the blaze was only 10 percent contained.

Earlier in the evening, residents of the Bexley Ranch subdivision in the Land O' Lakes area were told they could return to their homes. A voluntary evacuation request for the community was issued earlier in the day after the fire broke out in the Starkey Preserve. While Pasco County Emergency Management gave the clear for residents to go home, they asked them to continue monitoring news and social media for any changes.

"If emergency officials determine the flames are threatening homes, door-to-door notifications will be made," a May 6 email from the county said.

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The blaze, called the Anclote Branch Fire, spanned an estimated 700 acres and was considered between 5 to 8 percent contained as of 5 p.m. That number had climbed to 1,000 acres by 8 p.m. The Florida Forest Service estimated the fire was about 10 percent contained at that time. The update to 2,270 acres just before 9 p.m. represented a dramatic increase from the 120 acres reported by Pasco County officials as of 2:30 p.m.

The fire has forced the closing of the Suncoast Parkway between State Road 54 and State Road 52. The county said the road is expected to reopen on Sunday morning, but "will be subject to periodic closures" based on the needs of fire crews battling the blaze.

Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park will remain closed through Sunday "to give fire crews the access they need to fight the Anclote Branch fire," the county said.

As the wildfire continues to burn, officials remind that a countywide outdoor burn ban remains in place. As of Sunday, no grills, barbecues or campfires are being allowed at any Pasco County park until further notice.

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Photo courtesy of the Pasco County