By JOE SEELIG

AVON PARK — The Big Pine brush fire located in southern Polk County was approaching a section of the Avon Park Bombing Range property located inside Polk County on Monday afternoon, a Florida Division of Forestry spokesman said.

Tim Elder is forest area supervisor Okeechobee District with the Florida Division of Forestry, which includes Highlands County.
Elder said the fire is threatening the Blue Jordan subdivision in Polk County and voluntary evacuations have been ongoing.
The fire began about 2 p.m. Sunday and has burned more than 1,500 acres in Polk.

“If it crosses south (into Highlands), it isn’t going to be a problem since the Bombing Range burns regularly,” Elder said.
Thus far, 19 Division of Forestry firefighters from the Lakeland District, and one from the Okeechobee District, have been committed to battle the blaze, along with firefighters with other agencies.

The division was using 10 bulldozers, five fire engines, two helicopters and was trying to access one large air-tanker to drop flame retardent.
The fire, which began in the River Ranch area, was a little more than six miles from the Highlands County border, said Lakeland District media spokeswoman Chris Kintner.

Some hunting camps and recreational vehicles have been destroyed, she said.
The River Ranch area is tough to control fires due to fractured land ownership, many with one acre lots, very little controlled burning, heavy fuel, the dry season and camp sites scattered throughout, Elder said.
“It’s a major problem every year,” he said.

Elder said if the winds there were in the same direction as those in Highlands County, the fire would be heading more in a westerly direction. Kintner agreed saying the fire had traveled about two or three miles west.