BOCA RATON, Fla. (CBS12) — Residents in western Boca Raton were alarmed by the smell of smoke Wednesday evening, prompting over 150 calls to the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue’s (PBCFR) dispatch center within an hour.
Despite the influx of calls, PBCFR said no fires were found in the area during the 12 dispatched investigation calls for smoky conditions.
The Division of Forestry reported that a 10-acre vegetative debris/mulch fire west of Boca Raton, Delray, and Northern Broward County was responsible for the smoke. The fire, which created extremely smoky conditions, was contained Thursday morning, and efforts are underway to flood the area to ensure complete extinguishment.
The smoky conditions were exacerbated by strong west/northwest winds, said officials. The smoke is expected to dissipate throughout the day.
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In a separate incident, a brush fire was reported in Palm Beach County at around 8000 U.S. Highway 27 at 2:14 p.m. on Wednesday. Property owners used water trucks to extinguish the small smoldering fire on agricultural land, and units cleared the scene by 3:15 p.m.
The Florida Forest Service has warned that the brush fire danger level remains high due to continued dry and windy conditions. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue is prepared to respond with 19 brush trucks stationed throughout the county.
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