WEST BROWARD, FLA. (WSVN) - Firefighters in West Broward continue to work to contain a brush fire in the Everglades that has covered parts of South Florida in a blanket of smoke.
Florida Forest Service officials said westerly winds pushed all the smoke east into metro areas of Broward and Miami-Dade counties for Wednesday’s morning commute.
“Look at this smoke, thick blanket of smoke choking a lot of folks this morning,” said 7Skyforce reporter Steven J. Gray.
By Wednesday night, drivers on Alligator Alley spotted bright, orange flames in the distance still burning.
As of Wednesday afternoon, roughly 19,200 acres have been burned between two brush fires, according to the Florida Forest Service.
Officials said the first blaze sparked Monday night along Alligator Alley near Mile Marker 39.
The second fire is believed to have started on Tuesday afternoon. It started as two separate fires but has now combined into one.
“The Mile Marker 39 fire that started the evening of [Aug.] 18th, that is now combined with the Sawgrass fire which started last night,” said Michelle Danielson, Senior Forester at Florida Forest Service.
So far, state fire officials said, their focus is to keep the fire contained in the Everglades and let nature take its course.
Crews will remain onsite monitoring the blaze so it doesn’t affect any nearby structures or roadways like Interstate 75 and the Palmetto Expressway.
At this time, no structures are in danger, and there isn’t an active threat to the public or commuters.
Nonetheless, South Floridians still felt the effects, as many smelled smoke and their cars were covered in ash.
Video from 7SkyForce shows bright orange flames as the fire ripped through the brush.
“We both got nervous. We smelled something, like, definitely burning, and we thought maybe there was actually a fire in the hotel,” said a woman. “I asked the front desk, and they told me, ‘Yeah, there’s a fire in the Everglades.”
“Once we got out the car, it smelled very smoky, like there was a fire going on, and it got really, really cloudy. Very cloudy,” said another woman. “We kind of get used to it, just smile if something happens. Hopefully it gets cleared out, because I don’t want it to get too rough. Then you can’t see on the roads and stuff.”
“Even now, I can see in front of Publix, there’s a lot of smoke in the air,” said an area resident who identified herself as Laura.
Areas miles away from the blaze — like in Miami Gardens near the Hard Rock Stadium, downtown Miami and Sunny Isles Beach — had low visibility, as the smoke created thick ominous clouds across the skyline, posing a risk to drivers and those more susceptible to poor air quality.
“When I was driving here this morning for orientation, I realized that there was some fogginess in the air, but I didn’t know what really happened until now,” said Brisseida Vaval. “I couldn’t really smell it since I was driving, but it was pretty foggy as I was driving.”
Fire officials said it’s imperative that those who suffer from respiratory diseases or are among the vulnerable population, like pets, children or pregnant women, remain indoors.
“We are asking anyone with respiratory issues, asthma, [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] or children, even pregnant females, that they remain indoors if they can if there is smoke or haze where they live because this can cause a respiratory issue for them,” said Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez.
Because air quality could reach unhealthy standards, an air quality alert has been issued for all of Broward County starting at 10 p.m. Wednesday. It is expected to remain in effect until 9 a.m. Thursday.
Florida Forest Service officials said they are working around the clock to get a handle on the blaze, but the conditions remain unfavorable.
“It has a lot of area to spread, and it is sawgrass, so those are finer fuels, and they’re going to catch easier,” said Danielson.
As of late Wednesday evening, the fire remains 0% contained.
Officials say it may take days, if not weeks, to get the flames under control.
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