Firefighters and police in Palm Bay are monitoring the Compound area after multiple suspicious fires this year, and they want the public’s help identifying the source. The latest fire broke out Friday, following several others earlier this month that forced evacuations and blocked streets due to danger. Florida Forest Service staged bulldozers in the area on Friday as a precaution.
Cliff Frazier of the Florida Forest Service said officials are trying to be proactive. “We are trying to stay ahead of the eight ball, since we seem to have a problem down there,” he said. Fires have scorched more than 400 acres in the Compound since February, and investigators are trying to determine if someone is intentionally setting them.
Rich Uravich, who flies remote-controlled planes from a property in the Compound, said no one knows the source of the fires. “It’s of concern to everybody when it does happen,” he said. Authorities have visited the area multiple times during previous fires and worry the blazes could worsen.
Frazier warned that the situation could escalate to a repeat of the 1998 wildfires, which destroyed hundreds of homes and burned hundreds of thousands of acres across Florida. “All it takes is just one spark,” he said. Investigators are working to find answers before any nearby homes are damaged.