Two separate wildfires in Brooker Creek Preserve broke out at the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend before being brought under control by East Lake Fire Rescue and Palm Harbor Fire Rescue.
Palm Harbor Patch reports the first fire was apparently started by lightning around 12:40 Friday afternoon. The fire broke out in an area off of Brooker Creek's Pine Needle Path, just south of Keystone Road. Smoke was still visible in nearby neighborhoods Friday night.
The second fire broke out after 1 p.m. Saturday in a section of the Preserve bordering the Ridgemoor neighborhood. East Lake Fire Chief Tom Jamison said the fire was caused by remnants of the Friday fire. At one point, a powerline in the preserve caught fire. The fire was thought to be contained by around 6:45 Saturday evening, but another small fire broke out a short time later. That fire was also quikly contained.
No damage, injuries or evancuations were reported.
As of Sunday morning, the Florida Forest Service's Fire Danger Index in Pinellas County remains High.
