PEMBROKE PINES, FLA. (WSVN) - Crews are closely monitoring a grass fire in the Everglades that, officials said, has burned more than 12,600 acres after it sparked in a conservation area in Northwest Miami-Dade and spread to Southwest Broward County.
Friday afternoon, 7Skyforce HD hovered above the blaze west of Okeechobee Road and Krome Avenue, near Mack’s Fish Camp and the county line, as a large plume of smoke billowed into the sky.
Crews were seen setting a back fire south of the fire, which has been dubbed the L-30 fire by forestry officials.
According to the Florida Forest Service, 65% of the fire was contained as of Saturday afternoon.
Officials believe it began burning late Wednesday afternoon in Northwest Miami-Dade.
The grass fire burned close to a canal next to Krome Avenue at one point but then moved west.
Officials said the fire does not currently pose a threat to homes, businesses or roadways.
However, the blaze has continued to grow, and on Friday, flames ignited near Pines Boulevard, west of Pembroke Pines, in Southwest Broward.
A 7News viewer provided video of burning grass from an airboat.
At one point, the flames came within a mile and a half from of the Holly Lake mobile home community, west of U.S. 27.
Area residents said crews with the Florida Forest Service have placed fire trucks behind the mobile home park in case the flames encroach further.
Fire trucks were seen spraying water near power lines in an effort to make the fire move away from inhabited areas.
On Friday, just after noon, Weston fire and police departments said they received calls from nearby residents saying ash was falling on their vehicles and homes.
This is a result of the wind shifting and bringing the smoke back to inhabited areas.
Hours later, 7News cameras captured ash falling in a Miramar neighborhood to the east of the grass fire.
“It looks like it’s snowing on my car,” said area resident Genesis Villanueva.
“This is probably the worst we’ve ever seen it,” said area resident Sherri Artanis.
Artanis, a mother of two, said she fears for her children’s safety, as a haze of smoke covers her community.
“It’s hard to breathe outside; it’s definitely worse. Our cars are full of ash, so it’s kind of making a mess of things,” she said.
Villanueva, also a mother of two, said she’s choosing to keep her children indoors as dust and ash from the flames continue to blow her way.
“Suffocating at this point and nerve-racking, because I have kids in the house. I wouldn’t want them outside,” she said.
Rauf Awan, Villanueva’s 81-year-old neighbor, spent Friday evening washing the ash off his cars. He said it’s affecting his wife’s health.
“My wife is asthmatic. I myself am an old man. I don’t want to inhale all those small particles,” he said.
Friday afternoon, a forestry plane was seen flying above the burning brush, as officials monitored the blaze.
Residents at Holly Lake said they’re taking matters into their own hands to help prevent the fire from moving further.
“We’re texting back and forth. I live over in the trailer park, so I was concerned with the wind blowing so far,” said resident Kat Britt.
A group of people who live and work in the area went out on airboats and flattened the grass to moisten it in an effort to prevent the fire from inching closer.
Britt said he knows one of them.
“Their home, their family, everything is right there, no insurance,” said Britt. “That’s how they make their living, so he’s in a panic mode right now, because he’s out of gas.”
Residents at Holly Lake watched the fire in the distance just in case they might have to leave.
“We should give thought to it, but I think we’ve gotten accustomed to it,” said resident Ivonne Mesa. “It’s just like hurricanes; you get accustomed to it. We see it, we acknowledge it, and we’re just paying attention to make sure that it doesn’t affect us.”
“It’s rough, but they’re very good out here. They right away come out,” said another resident.
“It’s part of living in the Everglades,” said resident Mary Haldimann, “and we do have perks, and we do have disadvantages, but it’s not California.”
Fortunately, by 6 p.m., the part of the fire that was raging close to Holly Lake was burning itself out.
Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue officials said they have a unit that will stay near the mobile home park to ensure the fire doesn’t flare up again.
Officials hope rainfall makes its way to the area and helps extinguish the flames.
“What’s going to happen later on today is this cold front is going to move in from the north,” said David Rosenbaum with the Florida Forest Service. “The wind again will shift southwest. You’re going to see some intensity of wind increase temporarily as the front moves in. At the same time, we’re expecting rain showers and thunderstorms to perhaps help us in putting this fire – or at least putting it out by Mother Nature.”
Area residents who spoke with 7News said the smoke has not stopped their daily activities, and they hope it stays that way.
The massive grass fire is the second that has sparked this week in Miami-Dade County. Crews fought another blaze in a rural area near Southwest Eighth Street and 137th Avenue in West Miami-Dade. On Thursday night, forestry officials said, that fire had burned about 627 acres and was 95% contained.
The fire in Southwest Miami-Dade was fueled by dry brush and gusty winds. On Wednesday, it led to the closure of Southwest 137th Avenue, as well as the evacuation of at least one business.
No injuries have been reported in connection to either fire, and no homes or businesses have been damaged.
Officials said they are attempting to determine the cause of the L-30 fire.
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