In the search for an elusive python, Lake County Fire Rescue’s Chief Dan Miller and Lt. Jason Rivera instead discovered a struggling blue heron. The bird, an iconic symbol in the county’s logo, was found water-logged in Astor’s severe flooding.
 
“We were sitting at the Unified Command post and a gentleman came running in crying hysterically that a 9-foot python just ate his cat,” said Chief Miller. “We jumped up and took off to go looking for the snake and we couldn’t find it. What we found was this bird flopping around in the water. It couldn’t get out.”
 
The firefighters, in dry-suits and heavy gloves, picked up the heron and placed it into a Lake County Sheriff’s Office Agriculture/Marine Unit truck. The bird was allowed to rest and dry out, before eventually being released back into the wild.  
 
“People think of the fire service as just putting out fires and working on injured patients, but we are a part of the community and will work on whatever mission comes before us,” said Fire Chief Jim Dickerson.
 
The career firefighters of Lake County Fire Rescue protect county residents and visitors in an area covering approximately 1,200 square miles, with nearly 70,000 residences and up to 2,000 commercial properties.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. Find out what's happening locally with just a tap on your phone by downloading the area's free mobile app.  Monthly issues of Mount Dora Buzz are available here. ​​​​​​​​​​

As Hurricane Irma takes her time deciding her path,  residents are scampering to find hurricane essentials that are now in very short supply.  

If you've been running all over for bottled water, there is good news.  Publix is still getting trucks every day.  Delivery times and contents of the trucks vary, but if you aren’t one of the fortunate ones that already scored your 72-hour supply of bottled water, check back with them daily.

If you strike out at the grocery stores and don't like your tap water, duck into a convenience store, drug store or dollar store.  They often have supplies long after the grocery stores run out.

Even if residents don't like the taste of their tap water, they can bottle it  in re-useable jugs and use it for washing.  

Please comment on this post to let other residents know where you’ve recently spotted bottled water, batteries or other hurricane essentials for sale.

​For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. Find out what's happening locally with just a tap on your phone by downloading the area's free mobile app.  Monthly issues of Mount Dora Buzz are available here. ​