300-acre Brooksville brush fire at Cemex site 10% contained

Smoke and helicopter drops hung over the CEMEX aggregates property in Brooksville as a brush fire grew to 300 acres and remained only 10% contained. Hernando County Fire Rescue had ground crews working the scene while aircraft hit the flames from above, and officials posted a no-drone warning as the response intensified in dry, windy conditions.

The fire is burning on CEMEX property in Brooksville, an area that has already seen major wildfire activity in recent months. In July 2025, Hernando County Fire Rescue said a possible lightning strike sparked a sledge-pond fire at the plant that spread to about 100 acres before it was extinguished, with the Florida Forest Service helping to monitor the scene. No injuries were reported in that fire.

The latest blaze comes as Hernando County is already under an emergency temporary burn ban that took effect April 14. County officials said the Keetch-Byram Drought Index was 509 and rising on April 13, putting Hernando County at “High” fire danger. The ban covers all outdoor burning in unincorporated Hernando County and the City of Brooksville, with only limited exceptions allowed after inspection by the Florida Forest Service. County officials said the restriction remains in effect until further notice.

The firefighting response also reflects how quickly large brush fires can overwhelm resources in this part of the county. Brooksville’s fire and rescue services are now provided by Hernando County Fire Rescue, after the city transitioned those services on October 1, 2025. That means the county agency is now the lead responder for a blaze with potential to affect nearby neighborhoods, local roads and visibility around the CEMEX complex.

A similar brush fire in the Hernando Beach area in March burned about 120 acres before being fully contained and caused no reported structural damage. The Brooksville fire is larger, still active and moving through a stretch of county land already under serious drought stress, making the next 12 to 24 hours critical for containment and for keeping residents away from the smoke and the active firefighting zone.