Brush fire burns 3 acres in Gateway near Griffin Drive

Fire crews responded to a brush fire near Griffin Dr. and State Rd. 82 in Gateway, near the Lehigh Acres border Wednesday afternoon.

The fierce fire has since been extinguished, but families are still worried it might rekindle overnight. The flames charred three acres and came extremely close to homes in a Lee County neighborhood.

Edward Gatlin’s backyard was filled with smoke from the fast-moving brush fire.

“It’s within feet of my house,” Gatlin said.

A mother put her baby and her daughter in the car, ready to evacuate as fire crews rushed to drench the burning trees.

”You could see the flames coming up,” Gatlin said. “The thing is, I don’t know how they stretched so far. They start from here and work its way down the road.”

Three acres were burned. However, thanks to firefighters, neighbors like Jane Burd, who moved there on Tuesday evening, are safe and sound.

”It’s very frightening,” Burd said. “Especially, first day here.”