Florida wildfires force hundreds to evacuate
Story By: Bea Karnes
Source: NBC
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Wildfires flared up overnight across Florida's central Atlantic coast, where some residents are trying to save their homes with garden hoses.
The blazes have damaged dozens of homes and driven hundreds of
residents away.
Governor Charlie Crist has declared a state of emergency. His orders allow Florida to use federal funds and bring local emergency workers under state control. It also allows Florida to call on other states for help, if necessary.
Firefighters from around the state and the National Guard have already arrived in Palm Bay, where a 3,500-acre fire has damaged at least 70 homes.
All 18 schools in Palm Bay will be closed today.
In nearby Malabar, about 3,000 acres have burned and four homes destroyed.
