HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spent a frantic Monday afternoon taming two major brush fires that erupted in the eastern part of the county, leaving firefighters stretched thin as they fought to protect homes and businesses.
The back-to-back incidents required a massive deployment of resources, including a second-alarm response, to prevent the flames from jumping into densely populated areas.
The day’s first emergency began around 1:18 PM in Lithia. Units rushed to the 1800 block of Welcome Road after witnesses reported smoke rising from a wooded area. By the time crews arrived, the fire had already spread across five acres.
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The fast-moving flames caught an RV and an abandoned mobile home in their path, completely destroying both structures. Despite the loss of property, firefighters managed to ring the perimeter and halt the fire’s progress before it could reach other occupied residences. No one was hurt during the effort.
The situation grew more complicated just an hour later. At 2:17 PM, while teams were still mopping up the scene in Lithia, a separate and larger fire broke out in Seffner near East Sligh Avenue. This blaze posed a significant threat due to its proximity to the Lazydays RV Center and several neighborhood homes. The scale of the fire immediately triggered a second alarm, bringing a total of 24 units to the scene to establish a defensive line.
For the first hour, the primary goal was asset protection. Firefighters positioned themselves between the encroaching brush fire and the rows of high-value vehicles at Lazydays.
Once the immediate threat to the buildings and RVs was neutralized, crews shifted their focus to the heart of the brush. The Florida Forest Service and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office joined the effort, providing the extra manpower and equipment needed to navigate the rough terrain.
It took approximately two hours of heavy labor to bring the Seffner fire under control. While both fires left charred landscapes and destroyed two structures in Lithia, fire officials confirmed that no civilians or first responders sustained injuries during the busy afternoon. Investigations into what sparked the two separate blazes are ongoing as the county remains vigilant during dry conditions.
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