UPDATE (4 p.m.): A massive woods fire on Tuesday afternoon in the Gateswood Community of Baldwin County, and all firefighters could do was try to contain it.
At times, the flames were almost as tall as the trees.
What started as a brush fire alongside Seed Orchard Road just after noon quickly spread through thick woods with the help of the wind and extreme drought hanging on in parts of Baldwin County.
Folks who live in the area say they haven’t gotten nearly as much rain as other parts of Baldwin County, and it’s evident as the fire moved quickly through the woods.
How it started will probably never be known, but two hours after, firefighters from Rosinton, Gateswood, and Elsanor arrived, and despite their best efforts, around 500 acres of woodlands had burned.
No homes or other structures were threatened, but it sure made a lot of folks nervous watching how fast a fire can spread in these conditions…