Twenty homes were evacuated Sunday, March 31, 2019, near Allanton, Florida, when a wildfire spread over nearly 1 square mile.

(Florida Fire Service Chipola District/Twitter)

At a Glance

The 20 homes were evacuated Sunday afternoon.The fire was 50 percent contained, but strong winds caused flare up in other spots.Downed trees are making it hard to fight the fire, officials said.

A wildfire that forced the evacuation of 20 homes in Bay County, Florida, grew to slightly more than a square mile overnight but was 65 percent contained Monday afternoon.

The fire, which is burning near Allanton, Florida, at County Road 2207 and Old Allanton Road, appeared to have been , the Panama City News-Herald reported.

The Florida Forest Service said the fire was 50 percent contained by 6 p.m. Saturday, but strong winds caused the fire to flare up in other areas. Strong northerly winds were pushing the fire south on Sunday.

A cold front sluggishly moving through the Florida Panhandle was responsible for the stronger winds, weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Belles said.

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The fire is in a swampy forested area about 13 miles southeast of Panama City, Florida, near where .

Michael, with winds of 155 mph, in Florida and Georgia.

The Florida Fire Service said the number of down trees near Allanton was making it difficult to fight the fire.

A Florida Fire Service helicopter drops water on the edge of a wildfire burning on Sunday, March 31, 2019, in Bay County Florida.

(Florida Fire Service Chipola District/Twitter)

The Fire Service said it will have 12 firefighting bulldozers building and improving fire lines on Monday and engines will be mopping up hot spots.