PALM BAY, Fla. – Several homes in Palm Bay were temporarily evacuated after a large brush fire began Saturday in the U.S. Space Force Malabar Annex, according to fire officials.
Palm Bay Fire Rescue said that homes along Isar Avenue NW were evacuated as a precaution after the active brush fire pushed to the west from the annex.
The 35-40 acre fire was contained within the Space Force property, officials said.
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“The bulk of the fire is out,” as of 8 p.m., according to PBFR. “A majority of the fire efforts now are focused on putting out hotspots and small flare ups.”
No homes or structures are damaged at this time, officials said.
The fire was “very fast moving” when it started, Palm Bay Fire Rescue said in a statement.
Resident Peter Garcia said his family frantically got to safety.
“When I walked outside, I knew. If you can feel like heat like an oven door, it’s time to go so you the flames coming up over there,” Garcia said. “When you see the embers start to fly, you see me run inside, look it. It literally hit my ear and I was like, I need to go.”
Garcia said he watched as the flames got closer.
“I was worried. I was thinking about my kids, my grandma. She’s 99 years old. I had to get her out of the car and into the truck,” Garcia said.
Footage shared to News 6 by Jay from Palm Bay shows a massive plume of smoke rising from the fire.
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