Wildfire, Inland Collier County
- When
- April 20, 11:52 AM EST to April 25, 2:00 PM EST
- Where
- Inland Collier County forecast zone
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $3.5 million
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 26.099, -81.381 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The 30th Avenue wildfire was first reported during the afternoon hours on April 20 in the Golden Gate Estates area of eastern Naples in Collier County. This fire, in combination with the nearby Frangipani Fire reported later that afternoon, necessitated the evacuation of a large area of the the Golden Gate area of Naples, as well as numerous road, school, and business closures. The unofficial cause of the fire was a lawn mower that hit a rock that sparked and ignited the very dry vegetation.
Nine homes were destroyed in the fire, most located in the areas of Inez and Smith Roads, and Guevara Avenue. An additional abandoned home on the west side of 32nd Avenue SE, off of Everglades Boulevard was also destroyed. American Farms located off Brantley Boulevard and Inez Road sustained an estimated $1.1 million in damage. Total damage estimates were provided by the Florida Forest Service.
One man was injured while trying to protect his property. He was taken to the hospital with second-degree burns over 18 percent of his body.
Over an inch of rain fell on the fire on April 22 and 23, which helped increase the containment on the fire. The evacuation orders were lifted during the afternoon hours of April 23 as containment increased for the fire.