On Big Pine Key, Florida Sunday, April 22, 2018, a fast-moving brush fire broke out. The cause of the fire is currently unknown. In the course of the fire, a house was destroyed and within that house there was one fatality. Response from Monroe County was swift and at this time (Monday afternoon), the fire which grew to 100 acres is 40 percent contained. Firefighting crews from Monroe County Fire Rescue, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Florida Forest Service are working today on the Big Pine Key brush fire. There have been no evacuations at present, save for some horses and wildlife. Even though there have been no evacuations officials are cautioning residents to remain vigilant since there are hot spots in the area which could flare up at any time. People are urged to stay away from the area due to the heavy smoke and possibility of flare ups from hot spots.
The State Fire Marshal, Monroe County Fire Rescue, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Florida Forest Service will be working together on the investigation of the fire and of the fatality.
NASA’s Suomi NPP satellite collected this natural-color image using the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) instrument on April 23, 2018. Actively burning areas, detected by MODIS’s thermal bands, are outlined in red. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team, GSFC. Caption by Lynn Jenner with information from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
Suomi NPP is managed by NASA and NOAA.