Fire and ice

The cold, dry weather is causing some places to burn.
It got as hot as ever at the Hill 'n Dale subdivision early Thursday afternoon.
Up to three acres were engulfed by a brush fire, which caused damage to three homes in the area of Sunny Hill Drive, said Hernando County Fire Chief Mike Nickerson.
"We've had an increase of brush fires in the last week," the chief said. "It's been pretty dry and windy ... We're supposed to get rain this weekend, so we hope that kind of helps things."
The damage to the three houses was minor, Nickerson said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Fourteen county firefighters responded to the scene, along with four engines and two brush fire trucks, Nickerson said.
"This really is the beginning of the brush fire season," he said.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Thursday. A strong high-pressure system that settled over the region caused cold and dry conditions for Hernando County, forecasters said.
Rain is possible during the weekend, but more cold, dry air is expected to come by the start of next week, according to AccuWeather.com.
A brush fire Wednesday afternoon closed a portion of California Street, causing minor damage to at least one house.
Early reports were that it was an accidental fire.
The source of Thursday's fire at Hill 'n Dale hadn't been determined Thursday evening.
"It doesn't look to be natural causes, but there are no signs of accidental causes right now," Nickerson said. "We're still investigating."