OKEECHOBEE — Okeechobee County Fire Rescue (OCFR) had a busy start to the summer season before summer officially began.

Between May 18 and May 31, OCFR responded to 144 emergency medical calls, 12 fires, and 68 miscellaneous calls.    

Some of the more notable calls were the following:

After an oven overheated, a homeowner on Southwest 18^th Terrace called 911. Crews responded to the home on May 20 at approximately 9:30 a.m. When they arrived, they found no damage and no fire. They were able to assist with unplugging the oven and advised the homeowner to call a repairman.

Firefighters responded to Northwest 160^th Drive at approximately 3 p.m. on May 21 regarding a grass fire. Approximately 1,000 gallons of water were used to extinguish the fire.

On May 22, Station One was dispatched to Northeast 12^th Lane at approximately 3 p.m. regarding a grass fire. While en route, the Department of Forestry and FPL were requested to respond as well. Upon arrival, crews found a small brush fire in light vegetation with heavy vegetation on three sides, approximately half an acre. They were able to contain the fire, and the DOF established fire lines and took over the scene.

Also on the 22^nd, OCFR was dispatched regarding a wildfire on State Road 710 at approximately 3:30 p.m. When they arrived, they found the fire contained via natural water barriers, and the report notes there were no exposures present. However, some fire lines were maintained to keep the fire from spreading until DOF arrived and took over the scene.

Two days later, another brush fire began on Northwest 256^th Street at approximately 5 p.m. While crews were en route, DOF was also notified. When they arrived, they found approximately five acres on fire behind a fenced-in piece of property. They had to cut the chain link fence to gain access to the fire so they could begin to extinguish the head. They were able to keep the fire from reaching nearby trees, and DOF arrived and put a line around the fire. After they put out some hot spots, OCFR was cleared to return to quarters.

On May 25, OCFR was dispatched to Southeast 25^th Street at approximately 1:30 p.m. regarding a structure fire with a family trapped inside. However, while en route, they were advised the family made it out safely. When crews arrived, they found a mobile home fire. The fire was on one side of the building, and smoke came from all the other sides. The fire was extinguished, and there were no victims. The fire was determined to have started in an interior electrical panel, and a bed was ignited. The fire spread to the kitchen. The whole home had smoke and heat damage. Once the smoke was cleared, crews did a walk-through to check for further hazards, and none were found. FPL arrived to investigate the electrical concerns. The home was determined to be a total loss.

Units responded to Taylor Creek in the area of Southeast 30^th Street and 28^th Street regarding a brush fire on May 27 at approximately 12:45 p.m. The fire was started by a power pole, the report states. When the crew arrived, they found two fires — one under the transformer and the other on the power pole feeding a residence, very close to a detached garage. Both fires were extinguished promptly, and the garage was not damaged.

Thank you for your service to the community, OCFR.