SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Crews are working to contain a brushfire in Southwest Miami-Dade.
Florida Forest Service officials said 200 acres of brush have burned as of 8:18 p.m.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the grass fire in the area of Krome Avenue and Southwest 56th Street, just before 11:15 a.m., Monday.
Officials said responding firefighters found a fast-moving brushfire, which broke out 24 hours prior.
Air rescue units have been dispatched to the scene to deploy water drops on the flames.
“It just goes for tens of miles, and until we get some rain, it’s just gonna keep running,” said Florida Forest Service ranger Scott Peterich.
As smoke billowed into the sky, the thick plumes were visible for miles as lines of flames burned through Krome Avenue.
The fire initially sparked Sunday night east of the roadway. The orange flames lit up the night sky.
“I guess it moved over here overnight, and now it’s going crazy,” said Jerry, who lives nearby.
The embers were pushed by a strong wind over Krome Avenue.
Residents living in the area had fumes forced on them over the holiday weekend.
Jenny Perez said the smoke affected her breathing inside her nearby home in Century Lakes, where she lives with her son Manuel.
“He was sleeping. He actually didn’t feel it, which is good,” she said, “but I was scared because he was inhaling that while we were in bed.”
“I love seeing all the nature stuff, so watching it get burned sucks,” said Jerry.
Some neighbors watched, sad to see the beautiful greenery that brought them to live in the area burned to ash, as local, state and federal firefighters braved the heat and smoke in hopes of smothering the flames by ground and by air.
“It looks like it’s worse than yesterday,” said Perez. “It was kind of hard for me to breathe. I felt, like, a burning in my throat.”
The smoke, an inherent danger, shut down Krome Avenue between Southwest Eighth and 88th Streets.
Crews are not concerned about the residential homes and businesses catching the flames. Rather, they’re worried about the fire jumping over from Krome Avenue and potentially spreading across the Everglades.
No injuries have been reported.
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