Golden Gate Estates brush fire threatened 75 structures, now fully contained

A brush fire in Golden Gate Estates threatened 75 structures Wednesday afternoon and drew dozens of first responders from Collier and Lee counties but was doused quickly, authorities said.

The 80-acre blaze started at Frangipani Avenue and Sugarberry Street about 1:35 p.m. and quickly grew, fanned by wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph, said Samantha Quinn, wildfire mitigation specialist for the Florida Forest Service.

But by Wednesday evening, crews — which included firefighters from all corners of Collier, a strike team from Lee and resources from Forest Service — had the fire 100 percent contained.

Lost in the blaze were an older pickup, a kayak, a canoe, a utility trailer and a lawnmower, Quinn said. One shed was damaged, she said.

The cause of the fire was still unknown as officials continued their investigation.

The blaze spread rapidly at first Wednesday afternoon, summoning memories of the massive 7,500-acre brush fire that ravaged Golden Gate Estates last month. But a multitude of factors helped crews contain the threat.

For one, the blaze started in an area where parts of the brush had burned previously, denying the flames fresh fuel, Quinn said. Secondly, the swift multi-agency response helped keep the fire at bay.

"We're kind of like a well-oiled machine," Quinn said, referring to a result of the busy fire season crews have encountered this year.

The Florida Forest Service sent six bulldozers, an airplane, two supervisors and a helicopter to battle the blaze, Quinn said.

Meanwhile, firefighters from Greater Naples Fire Rescue, North Collier Fire Control and Rescue District, Marco Island Fire-Rescue and the Immokalee Fire Control District arrived in brush trucks and emergency vehicles.

"Countywide agencies, everybody's here," said Kingman Schuldt, fire chief for Greater Naples Fire Rescue. "We have a strike team coming in from Lee County."

Lastly, Quinn said, rain showers that passed through Collier late Wednesday afternoon aided in dousing the blaze.

All those things helped, she said, but "it could've gone either way."

Early Wednesday afternoon, Collier County Sheriff's Office deputies closed 10th Street Southeast near Frangipani Avenue to allow fire crews to navigate the dusty backroads more freely. Shortly after 6 p.m., deputies allowed residents, some of whom were returning from work, back to their homes off Frangipani Avenue.

Smoke still hung in the air near Pioneer Trail, not far from Sugarberry Street, on Wednesday afternoon as heavy bulldozers plowed through the brush and crews patrolled the nearby fields. 

John White's home and stables on Pioneer Trail were untouched by the blaze, but when the fire and word of it spread, White and his wife Dawn hitched their trailer for their horses just in case.

"We were ready to leave if we had to," he said.

The couple has two horses, two donkeys, two goats and four dogs, making it tough to leave their home behind when brush fires threaten, said White, 57.

During the massive April blaze in Golden Gate Estates, the Whites had geared up to leave but ended up staying. 

"The other one was a little scarier," White said of the April fire.

On Wednesday, crews swiftly brought the fire under control, and White commended them for their efforts. 

"The forestry and the fire department are fantastic," he said. "They've saved our butts many times."