PORT ORANGE, Fla. —Roads were shut down and businesses were cut off from customers after a brush fire created chaos in Port Orange on Tuesday.
Clyde Morris Boulevard in Port Orange is closed at Madeline Avenue because of the smoke from the fire.
“It’s not like a normal day. A lot less traffic than we’re normally used to,” Subway employee Justin White said.
Officials said while most of the smoke has dissipated considerably it will take days for all of it to clear out, making visibility low for drivers.
“My eyes were still pretty irritated from it. It’s getting all over my car, all over my clothes,” Port Orange resident Brandon Smith said.
The estimated size of the fire was 25 acres, according to Port Orange Fire & Rescue. The brush fire was contained about 3:30 p.m. Winds refreshed the flames from a smaller brush fire that broke out Monday night.
Gatlin Development Company was considering buying the land where most of the fire occurred, and had planned to build a Walmart.
The City Counsel was expected to make a vote Tuesday that could have green lighted the project. It’s a controversial plan among residents who showed up to Tuesday night’s meeting ready to fire off their disapproval of the plans.
The brush fire could force developers to make new plans, though.
“Part of that development plan took in to account existing trees, natural trees, buffers,” Gatlin Development Company’s attorney Nectaria Chakas said. “We wanted to assess the damage and figure out what exactly needs to change on the development plan.”
The city’s vote on the Walmart plans have been pushed back to May.
Investigators are looking into the cause of a small brush fire that started Monday night and turned into the biggest fire Port Orange has seen so far this year.
No injuries or damage have been reported.
