As the number of active fires continued to increase over the next two weeks, the overall strategy in several counties began to shift from offensive to defensive. The available fire suppression forces were fully committed to attacking new fires that posed a direct threat to populated areas, while fires in isolated areas were given a lower priority. Planners began to identify built-up areas that would be vulnerable several days or weeks in the future, if the fires could not be stopped. The planning concentrated on establishing defensive lines to keep the fires out of developed areas.
A Presidential disaster declaration was signed on June 18th to authorize direct federal assistance to fight the fires. Additional overhead teams and wildland fire suppression resources from several more states were sent to Florida to assist the DOF and US Forest Service crews. Aircraft was also redeployed from bases in western states to bases in Florida.
Between June 19th and 22nd, dry thunderstorms ignited more than 80 additional fires per day in the same general area. Most of the fires in accessible areas were quickly controlled by ground forces and aerial attack, however, several other fires in remote areas continued to burn. The drought conditions continued through the rest of June and the battle went on, day after day, burning thousands of acres and wearing out the personnel and equipment that were available.
On June 21st a unified Area Command was established at the State EOC to direct the statewide response to the growing fire situation. This command included the Florida Division of Forestry, Division of Emergency Management, US Forest Service and FEMA. In the following days eight “complex commands” were established to manage operations in different parts of the state, reporting to the Area Command. A Type 1 orType 2 incident management team from the nationwide wildland system was assigned to each of these complexes.
The situation reached its most critical stage during the last days of June and the first week of July, when several of the fires in rural areas began to converge, forming much larger fires. A series of very large fires developed in the area west of Interstate 95, in Brevard, Volusia and Flagler counties. A sudden flare-up occurred on July 1st, when hot dry winds pushed the flames toward the populated communities that line the coast. This situation prompted an unprecedented response of both wildland and structural firefighters and supporting resources into Florida from across the United States.
On July 1st and 2nd the fires jumped across I-95 and other natural firebreaks in several locations as they moved toward the east. The fires threatened to sweep into several urban areas and residential subdivisions. An intense battle raged for three days,as the flames consumed dozens of structures. In Volusia County the fires reached built-up areas of Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach. On the afternoon and evening of July 2nd flames consumed 51 dwellings in Palm Coast in Flagler County. In northern Brevard County 36 homes were destroyed during the same period.
Large scale evacuations were ordered in several communities. More than 15,000 residents were evacuated from areas of Ormond Beach that were in the path of the fires. On July 3rd the entire civilian population of Flagler County, more than 45,000 residents, were ordered to evacuate in the face of a potential fire storm.
The threat began to subside on July 4th as the weather conditions finally changed. Increasing humidity and relief from the dry winds allowed fire fighters to hold the lines and end the crises. The first rain fell on July 5th and more rain followed on the succeeding days. Over the next two weeks all of the remaining fires were contained, overhauled and fully extinguished.
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