Fire burns 125 acres in Golden Gate Estates

Firefighters from Golden Gate and the state Division of Forestry battled a 125-acre blaze Wednesday evening that produced massive amounts of smoke but never threatened any homes or structures, said Victor Hill, a spokesman for the Golden Gate Fire Control & Rescue District.

The fire started at about 3:12 p.m. on farmland south of Dove Tree Street, which is south of Golden Gate Boulevard in the unblocked section of Golden Gate Estates, Hill said. The fire was most likely the result of a lightning strike, he said. Firefighters had the blaze under control at about 8:35 p.m.

“No structures were ever threatened, we didn’t move anything, nobody got hurt,” Hill said. “If there was a place in the Gates for it to go up, that was about as safe as any.”

Hill said the Golden Gate and North Naples firefighters chased down several brush fires Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters from East Naples battled a couple blazes of their own, said East Naples Fire Department spokesman Greg Speers.

“It was definitely a pretty busy day in those terms,” Hill said. “That is probably going to be pretty typical over the next couple of days if the rain continues.”

Hill said it is important for people to alert officials if they think there is a fire near their home.

“If residents see flames we definitely want to know about it,” he said.