Kathy and Richard Williams of Deerfield Beach encountered a rapidly spreading fire while returning from a vacation in the Florida Keys. Driving back towards Deerfield Beach from Islamorada, they encountered the incident on Tuesday afternoon near the 40800 block of Card Sound Road. Aerial footage showed flames burning vegetation; authorities closed both Card Sound Road and U.S.1 to allow fire units to access additional water sources.
Kathy initially mistook the thick smoke for a rainstorm but quickly recognized its danger when flames approached their car and “the entire car got super hot… almost like fire was right here with you”, as Richard reported the hazardous situation of thick black smoke blocking their visibility, making it nearly impossible to avoid collisions or avoid potential accidents with other vehicles on the road. They raced north in hopes of fleeing their pursuers despite limited visibility and intense heat.
At first, it seemed fortunate. They were one of the last cars out before the fire became more intense, though their escape was anything but smooth. Emergency teams quickly responded and managed to contain the fire quickly, yet their close escape served as an important reminder of both its unpredictable nature and of how necessary fire rescue teams are for dealing with emergencies such as this one. Contact us for fire watch services today