BOCA RATON, Fla. — Firefighters battled a brush fire that broke out early Thursday morning behind a Costco in Boca Raton.
Aerial video from WPTV Chopper 5 showed multiple hot spots in the Yamato Scrub Natural Area at Congress Avenue and Boca Club Boulevard, just west of Interstate 95.
WATCH: Chopper 5 video of Boca Raton brush fire
Capt. Tom Reyes with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said the brush fire broke out at about 5 a.m., and the agency worked with Boca Raton Fire Rescue to contain the flames.
Reyes told WPTV journalist Briana Nespral the fire was under control at 7:30 a.m., although plumes of white smoke were still lingering in the area.
"There was a large brush fire. It was about five to seven acres total," Reyes said. "We've had a total of 20 units on scene between our two departments working together under a unified command."
As firefighters surrounded the blaze before daybreak, gusty winds fueled the flames.
"With these high winds, definitely the hot spots can always spark back up," WPTV aerial reporter Johann Hoffend said in a live report at 6:15 a.m. "The wind is not helping at all for our firefighters battling this."
The fire broke out in wooded area just behind a Costco near Congress Avenue and Clint Moore Road.
Despite thick, white smoke spreading toward nearby roadways, there were no delays on I-95.
"You get spotfires as well. You get little flare-ups," Reyes said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
WPTV First Alert Weather meteorologist Steve Villanueva said winds on Thursday morning were gusting up to 40 mph, and those conditions can quickly cause flames to spread.
"The good news is that the humidity is increasing. So that helps when it comes to fire season. You definitely want more moisture in the atmosphere," Villanueva said. "But we haven't really picked up a lot of rainfall this dry season. So we do have a lot of dry brush around."
WATCH: Steve Villanueva talks brush fire threat
Villanueva added that South Florida's "dry season" is expected to end by mid-May. That's typically when daily thunderstorms return and bring more moisture to the area.
