Search by Keyword
Search by Department
All Departments Administration Corrections Development Services Facilities Management Human Resources Information Technology Library Services Management and Budget Services Natural Resources Management Neighborhood and Human Services Parks and Recreation Public Safety Public Works Veterans Services Waste ServicesThe Escambia County Board of County Commissioners recognized the first responders involved in extinguishing the Somerville Court forest wildfire Thursday, May 2.
Surrounded by personnel from Escambia County Fire Rescue, the Florida Forestry Service, Pensacola Fire Department, Summerdale Fire Department, Ala. and Perdido Beach Volunteer Fire Department, Ala., District 2 Commissioner Mike Kohler recognized those who took part in the Somerville Court wildfire response.
In the afternoon of April 4, 2024, Escambia County emergency dispatchers received several calls related to a wildfire that was rapidly expanding and threatening several homes on Somerville Court and Mary Fleming Drive. Escambia County Fire Rescue responded and immediately requested additional units from NAS Pensacola, the City of Pensacola, the Florida Forest Service, Summerdale Fire Department, and Perdido Beach Volunteer Fire Department.
Upon being notified of the potential size of the wildfire and the number of homes that could be affected, Escambia County Emergency Management issued an evaluation order using Alert Escambia. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department provided traffic control and assisted with the evacuation order due to the closure of several nearby roads.
Escambia County Animal Control responded to assist homeowners and firefighters with the removal of pets from the evacuation area. Escambia County Area Transit responded with two buses to transport evacuees to Liberty Church on Blue Angel Parkway which opened as a temporary shelter. The American Red Cross was deployed to Liberty Church with six volunteers to help console the evacuees and assisted one family that was displaced by the fire.
Due to the quick response of Escambia County Fire Rescue, firefighters from NAS Pensacola, the City of Pensacola, Summerdale Fire Department, Perdido Beach Volunteer Fire Department and the Florida Forest Service, one home was heavily damaged, 15 homes suffered various degrees of damage, and 200 homes were saved.
Over the next several days, Florida Forest Service remained on-scene to ensure all hotspots were contained.
“The Somerville Court wildfire was a shining example of our dedicated first responders from various departments coming together for one mission: to protect the citizens of Escambia County," said Commissioner Kohler. "As the fire grew rapidly, our first responders worked tirelessly to evacuate the affected neighborhoods while extinguishing the fire. I commend our firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency management personnel and our volunteers for their efforts during that day, and I’m so thankful no one was harmed."
The mission of Escambia County government is to provide efficient, responsive services that enhance our quality of life, meet common needs and promote a safe and healthy community.
Under Florida law, IP addresses and both the content of emails and email addresses are public records. If you do not want your IP address and the content of your email or your email address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in person.