ROTONDA FIRE CUTS POWER AND THREATENS HOMES

ABOUT 2100 ROTONDA RESIDENTS LOST POWER AFTER A POWER LINE SNAPPED, CAUSING A BRUSH FIRE THAT THREATENED HOMES LAST NIGHT.  A HALF DOZEN FIRE AGENCIES RACED TO THE CHARLOTTE HARBOUR PRESERVE NEAR GASPARILLA ROAD AND ROTONDA TERRACE TO BATTLE THE BLAZE JUST AFTER 7PM.  FIREFIGHTERS WERE ABLE TO GET THE FIRE ABOUT 95% CONTAINED BY 11PM, AND ONLY ONE HOME WAS STILL IN DANGER OF THE FLAMES.  NO ONE WAS INJURED.  THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S HELICOPTER ASSISTED BY DROPPING 45 BAMBI BUCKETS OF WATER ON THE FIRE.  DIVISION OF FORESTRY OFFICIALS SAY WHEN THEY RECEIVED THE CALL, IT WAS REPORTED AS A TEN ACRE FIRE, BUT BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED ON SCENE, IT HAD GROWN TO FIFTY ACRES DUE TO THE EXTREMELY DRY CONDITIONS.  ANOTHER FIRE IN THE TROPICAL GULF ACRES NEIGHBORHOOD OF PUNTA GORDA CLOSED ROADS FOR OVER AN HOUR AS FIRE CREWS BATTLED THAT BLAZE, WHICH ALSO THREATENED HOMES FOR A TIME.  FIRE OFFICIALS SAY THAT FIRE IS SUSPICIOUS IN ORIGIN.