Controlled burn goes out of control in Central Florida...50 car pile up. Serious drought.

[madfloridian]

Why in the name of common sense would they start a controlled burn in one of the driest areas of the state? Three known dead so far.



Reinhold Matay/Associated Press. A major pileup on Interstate 4 in north central Florida involved as many as 50 cars and trucks,

3 Killed in Florida Highway Pileup

Three people were killed and dozens injured early Wednesday in a major pileup on Interstate 4 in north central Florida, as fog and smoke from brush fires combined to make it almost impossible for motorists to see.

Local authorities said the smoke was produced by what was supposed to be a controlled burn started Tuesday by state officials to eliminate accumulations of downed timber, but the fire went out of control and burned to the edge of the roadway. Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County described the conditions as “a wall of smoke and fog.”

As many as 50 cars and trucks were involved in the chain reaction crash that closed a 14 mile stretch of the roadway about midway between Orlando and Tampa. Traffic was backed up for miles in each direction and drivers were urged to avoid the area. Visibility was so limited that Florida state troopers and Polk County sheriff’s deputies parked their patrol cars and walked from one crashed vehicle to another, checking for injuries.

Rescue workers were having a difficult time getting their ambulances and fire trucks to the scene. The injured who could walk were being taken to a rest area about a quarter of a mile west of the crash site for treatment.

I suspect that the "accumulations of downed timber" has been there since the 3 hurricanes hit in 2004. There was a lot of rain during the summer months and into the fall even. They waited to start their controlled burn until now when everything is so dry. There is a drought here.

Does not make sense.

[donsu]

1. kick

nt

[liberal N proud]

2. I wouldn't consider midway between Orlando and Tampa North Central Florida

But other than that, that stretch of road moves very very fast. If you are doing 75 on that road you will get passed by almost everything that moves.

[madfloridian]

3. I agree about the word "north".

It is more just Central.

[madfloridian]

4. Fox video from helicopter. Officer saw a man burn to death..others screaming.

Florida Officer: 'I Watched a Man Burn to Death'

"A combination of thick morning fog and brush fire smoke on Interstate 4 in Polk County sparked a 50-car pileup that killed three people and injured at least 82 others.

"We have a major disaster that has occurred on Interstate 4," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. "Our firefighters and EMTs went into an environment where you could not see absolutely anything in front of you. It was as if you were hitting a wall of smoke and fog. As a result of that, there have been at least 50 vehicles involved in the major event. You could not see your hand infront of your face and that is not an exaggeration."

Authorities said brush fires created smoke that combined with fog, sparking a series of crashes near Old Grade Road in Polk County before rush hour Wednesday morning.

Officers on the scene said they could not reach people trapped in their cars as they burned.

"(The officer) said, 'I did all I could do but I watched a man burn to death today and I heard others screaming and crying,'" Judd said. "And (the officer) said, 'I can't begin to explain to you how difficult this scene was and I can't begin to explain to you the trauma that occurred and I did all I could'"

[madfloridian]

5. More video from the Orlando Sentinel.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-bk-accident01092008,0,7343581.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

[madfloridian]

6. More....the downed timber was from the 2004 hurricanes.

Which leads me to wonder. If they knew the downed timber would add to the danger of fires in that area, why do a controlled burn?

http://www.theledger.com/article/20080109/NEWS/801090413/1338

On Tuesday, the Keetch-Byram Drought Index was 561 on the 0-800 scale, which meant the county was experiencing extremely dry conditions that create a greater risk of fires.

...."We have one of the highest drought indexes in the state right now," said Chris Kintner, a spokeswoman for the Division of Forestry. "North of the interstate is some of the driest areas we have. We anticipate it is going to be a very busy fire season."

The forestry service's main concern is the Green Swamp area, which has extremely low water levels, she said. And unless an abnormal storm happens, the dry weather will persist until Polk's rainy season begins this summer.

...."The problem we have now is all the downed debris from the hurricanes in 2004," Kintner said. "There is still a lot of debris out there in those rural areas and pastures from those hurricanes. And all the added fuel from the freeze is really going to stir things up. It's going to be a busy fire season."

There was a pretty good rainy season in the summer and into the fall, so why wait for an intense drought to burn.

[malaise]

7. Will anyone be charged? n/t

[madfloridian]

8. They say it was like running into a wall suddenly.

I rather doubt it, but have not heard.

[madfloridian]

9. Just heard on the news that they ticketed everyone

and told them to sort things out in court. Considering how many investigations are going on...it did not set well with the accident victims.