HOLT, Fla., May 29, 2024—Holt Fire District responded to the first brushfire here at one of the only two solar farms in Okaloosa County today.

A worker from Florida Power & Light at the Canoe farm east of Garner Landing Road called the fire in around 10:30 a.m.

Holt Fire sent Brush 31 and two firefighters. Engine 31 responded to provide additional water for the blaze. Harold Fire District also responded with a brush truck on standby to provide additional water support if needed.

It was a tight squeeze in the alleyways between solar arrays for the brush truck. Offset by a 4-foot welded wire fence surrounded by oat grass and not able to navigate between the arrays, Engine 31 provided water from Garner Landing.

Although power to the section of the solar array threatened by the brushfire was turned off, the photovoltaic panels still collected and carried 1,500 watts of direct current electricity, making firefighter movement between the rows of the panels a bit hazardous.

Holt firefighters Glen Arne and Justin Barrow extinguished the flames between the solar arrays as firefighter Marion Arnett manned the truck and pump.

By 11:30 a.m., the blaze was extinguished.

According to FPL, the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage is unknown at this time.

The first—and so far only—solar farms in Okaloosa County are located in Holt. The Canoe farm, located east of Garner Landing Road and south of Interstate 10 covers nearly 900 acres. It went online in late January, according to FPL information.

Kayak, a second smaller solar farm located on Wilkerson Bluff Road east of Belgium Run on more than 600 acres is scheduled to go online at the end November.

According to Florida Statute 163.3205, Section (3) passed in 2021, solar facilities are “permitted in all agricultural land use categories in a local government comprehensive plan and all agricultural zoning districts within unincorporated area.”

The statute goes on to say facilities “must comply with the setback and landscaped buffer area criteria for other similar uses in the agricultural district.”

FPL is Florida’s largest power company and biggest utility.

Holt residents are CHELCO customers and do not benefit from FPL’s solar energy operations.