Despite optimism that the fire would be contained quickly, the fire engulfing Juniper Prairie Wilderness has spread to 6,000 acres, forcing Forest Service personnel to perform more back-burns against it to keep it from hopping SR 19 and surrounding forest roads.
The wildfire started from a campfire. Three campers have been charged with a misdemeanor for letting their campfire escape. The fire began at an undisclosed spot “along the hiking trail,” which I’ll presume to be the Florida Trail. It might have been Hidden Pond, but there is no confirmation as of yet.
What little bit of the Juniper Wilderness that didn’t burn in 2007 is now a blackened wasteland. I stopped at FR76 Sunday (3/22) and all you can see is black earth as far as you can see. This fire was hot and it killed everything in it’s path. I had planned to hike and camp in this area but it was closed. Ended up going out Hopkins and on Sat a couple of kids had a fire going about two miles north of the campground that got away from them. I called the forest service and they stopped it before it burned to much. Only a couple of acres, but with the wind that day it would have been an explosive fire had it not been reported when it was. Fire ban in effect but no postings on any trail heads. This needs to be done. Had I not read it online I would have had no idea there was a ban on camp fires in the ONF.