Evacuations were ordered Monday afternoon near a brush fire in the Picayune Strand State Forest south of I-75 in Collier County, after flames grew to 605 acres and remained just 10% contained by 5:30 p.m. Monday.
The streets included in the evacuation area were parts of Stable Way, Union Drive, Barton Gliba Drive, Benfield Road, Beck Boulevard and Le Buff Road. The zone sat east of Forest Glen Golf & Country Club and south of the Alligator Alley toll plaza, while the Florida Highway Patrol reported smoke in the area near mile marker 98 on I-75.
Greater Naples Fire Rescue District and the North Collier Fire Rescue District were working with the Florida Forest Service to contain and extinguish the fire. Greater Naples Fire said winds were pushing westward and could bring smoky conditions along Collier Boulevard south of I-75, and drivers were told to use caution in the area.
The naples fire is a problem not just because it is spreading through dry brush in a forested area south of the interstate, but because the smoke has already reached a busy corridor used by drivers moving across Collier County. With several agencies on scene and containment still low, the focus Monday evening was on keeping the fire from pushing farther west and protecting the homes and roads closest to it.