Huge wildfires in the Florida Panhandle forced residents of at least 1,100 houses in Bay County, Florida, to flee over the weekend. Firefighters battled the 9,000-acre Bertha Swamp Road fire and the 841-acre Adkins Avenue fire, which have threatened homes and forced residents of at least 1,100 houses in Bay County, Florida, to flee over the weekend. The Adkins Avenue fire destroyed two structures and damaged another 12 homes late Friday.A family forced to evacuate by the Adkins Avenue fire returned to their home for the first time to find it destroyed. Laurie Shuman and her husband were emotional as they discovered the charred remains. “I’m devastated, to be honest with you,” Shuman told WJHG. “This was my living room– oh my gosh. My curio cabinet and everything was there — all of our furniture.””You almost feel targeted. I know we’re not, it’s just hard to get away from those types of feelings,” Paul Shuman said. Even worse, the family was unable to save their dog, Bella. “This is devastating. The hardest part was losing our dog. I was glad I was able to locate her. Just sad I couldn’t get her out,” Paul Shuman said. Aside from a handful of keepsakes, everything inside was destroyed.”There’s nothing here. It’s gone. I have no words,” Paul Shuman said.
Huge wildfires in the Florida Panhandle forced residents of at least 1,100 houses in Bay County, Florida, to flee over the weekend.
Firefighters battled the 9,000-acre Bertha Swamp Road fire and the 841-acre Adkins Avenue fire, which have threatened homes and forced residents of at least 1,100 houses in Bay County, Florida, to flee over the weekend. The Adkins Avenue fire destroyed two structures and damaged another 12 homes late Friday.
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A family forced to evacuate by the Adkins Avenue fire returned to their home for the first time to find it destroyed.
Laurie Shuman and her husband were emotional as they discovered the charred remains.
“I’m devastated, to be honest with you,” Shuman told WJHG. “This was my living room– oh my gosh. My curio cabinet and everything was there — all of our furniture.”
“You almost feel targeted. I know we’re not, it’s just hard to get away from those types of feelings,” Paul Shuman said.
Even worse, the family was unable to save their dog, Bella.
“This is devastating. The hardest part was losing our dog. I was glad I was able to locate her. Just sad I couldn’t get her out,” Paul Shuman said.
Aside from a handful of keepsakes, everything inside was destroyed.
“There’s nothing here. It’s gone. I have no words,” Paul Shuman said.
