Fast-moving wildfire engulfs 6,000 acres in Florida

Firefighters in Florida were battling a massive, fast-moving wildfire early Tuesday that shut down roads and threatened neighborhoods, authorities said.

By midnight, the blaze had engulfed 6,000 acres and was growing rapidly, Florida Division of Forestry spokesman Cliff Frazier said.

Authorities shut down part of U.S. 1 and a 20-mile stretch of Interstate 95 in Volusia and Brevard counties.

Flames, fueled by heavy winds and dry conditions, were threatening a nearby neighborhood, Frazier said.

Heat from the fire was causing higher wind gusts late Monday, the National Weather Service reported.

Bright orange flames and blue police lights lit the night sky as residents evacuated from an RV park.

Harold Lacoste and his wife packed their car with pictures and family heirlooms as they prepared to evacuate their neighborhood Monday.

"It didn't look like it was going to hit us all afternoon, then all of a sudden it flared back up," Lacoste told CNN affiliate WFTV.

Lacoste told the station that he had been a victim of wildfires in the past and he didn't want to risk being trapped.

Leo Patterson said he was worried as he prepared to head to a shelter after authorities evacuated the Crystal Lake RV Park Monday night.

"Last year we were here and we had to worry about a tornado that went through and now we have a fire going on and a motor home sitting back there that's $180,000," he told WFTV.

The fire was first reported around 10 a.m. Monday, according to the station.