West Dade Fire Consumes 400 Acres in Florida

April 7, 2005
Thanks to dry conditions, brush fires continue to plague South Florida.

Thanks to dry conditions, brush fires continue to plague South Florida. One on the edge of the Everglades today sent flames and plumes of thick, black smoke into the sky, which could by seen by drivers on the Florida Turnpike.

Bill Berry with the Florida Division of Forestry said the good news is that at this point, it's not posing a threat to any structures. Firefighters are simply monitoring the situation.

''Right now it's 2 miles northeast of Krome Avenue and Tamiami Trail,'' Berry said. ''We'll have crews out there checking on it. So far it's charred approximately 400 acres.''

It's the latest in a string of wildfires in recent days, which at times have closed some roadways. Berry said with current conditions, more blazes are likely.

''We haven't had any rain, humidity is low and that creates pretty good conditions for a fire,'' Berry said. ''Dade County especially hasn't had much rain, so the drier you get, the more likelihood that if you do have a fire, it'll be a pretty good one.''

Distributed by the Associated Press

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