The blaze was centered in Ruskin, about 20 miles south of Tampa near Florida's Gulf coast, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

CNN: Brush fire shuts down I-75 near Tampa

The woman, who died earlier this week, was from Cameron County on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico.

CNN: Second U.S. death linked to swine flu, officials say

Ordinarily, Republican candidates run best in the western panhandle (Pensacola and Panama City), Orange County (Orlando), and the southern Gulf Coast (especially Fort Myers and Naples), and in Miami's Cuban-American community.

CNN: GOP contenders fight for Florida