BAKER, Fla., Oct. 16, 2024—Holt Fire District responded to a large structure fire on County Living Road around 4:15 p.m. today.

The building, nestled in a large wooded area, was fully engulfed and black smoke could be seen over the treetops from U.S. Highway 90.

No one was on the property at the time of the fire. Neighbors saw the flames and called 911.

Because the fire was so large, the building was crammed with flammable material and surrounded by trees and brush, and the humidity level was so low, a number of fire response agencies also answered the mutual aid call.

Assisting Holt Fire with the emergency were Baker Fire District, Crestview Fire Department, Harold Fire District, Alamarant Volunteer Fire Department, Eglin Air Force Base Fire and Emergency Services, the Florida Forest Service, Okaloosa County EMS and Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

According to property owner Aaron Sweeney, he was working on the backhoe yesterday and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

The enclosed building was essentially a large storage area crammed with books and electronics, computer and photography equipment, among other things, left by the original property owner. It had two open areas under the roof, also crammed with miscellaneous material, including Sweeney’s tractor.

Even more debris from the previous owner was piled around the outside of the building. Sweeney and his wife, Amy, were in the process of removing the debris.

Sweeney lost both his tractor and brush hog to the flames, and his backhoe, which was parked close enough to where the fire spread beyond the building.

According to Holt Fire Chief Scott Chestnut, the cause of the fire is undetermined, likely attributed to an electrical problem.

The fire continued to flare up for more more than three hours while firefighters dumped gallons of water on the flames.

By 8:30 p.m., the fire was essentially extinguished, but would continue to smolder, according to Chestnut. The ground around the building was charred enough that should an ember flare up, there was no danger of the area surrounding the building catching fire.