A BRUSH FIRE BROKE OUT JUST BEFORE 2PM TUESDAY IN A SCRUB JAY PRESERVE NEAR ENGLEWOOD AND MANASOTA BEACH ROADS IN NORTH ENGLEWOOD. THE THREE ALARM FIRE WAS FOUGHT BY NEARLY FORTY FIREFIGHTERS FROM ENGLEWOOD, VENICE, NORTH PORT, SARASOTA COUNTY, NOKOMIS, AND THE DIVISION OF FORESTRY AND WAS CONTAINED WITHIN AN HOUR. MANASOTA BEACH ROAD WAS CLOSED TO TRAFFIC FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR WHILE CREWS FOUGHT TO KEEP THE FIRE FROM CROSSING TO THE OTHER SIDE. AN ENGLEWOOD FIRE STATION UNIT WAS CALLED BACK TO THE SCENE AROUND 5:20PM TO DOUSE SOME HOT SPOTS. A BIT MORE THAN TWO ACRES WAS SCORCHED IN THE BLAZE.
