Massive wildfires overwhelm Florida Panhandle

Firefighters and emergency workers battled two massive wildfires Sunday in an area of the Florida Panhandle that was still recovering from destruction caused by a Category 5 hurricane more than three years ago.

The 8,000-acre Bertha Swamp Road fire and the 1,400-acre Adkins Avenue fire threatened homes and forced the evacuation of residents of at least 750 homes in Bay County, Florida over the weekend.

The Adkins Avenue fire destroyed two structures and damaged another 12 homes late Friday. The Adkins Avenue fire has been burning in Bay County since Friday, forcing the evacuation of at least 600 homes, and it was 35% contained Sunday morning.

The county opened a shelter at the Bay County Fairgrounds for displaced residents.  The much-larger Bertha Swamp Fire started in neighboring Gulf County on Friday but spread to Bay and Calhoun counties on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of another 150 homes. It was 10% contained as of Sunday morning.