MIAMI --
A brush fire threatened homes in southwest Miami-Dade County on Monday evening, fire crews said.
A grass fire began just after 5 p.m. near Southwest 144th Court and 175th Street.
Twelve crews from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue were called to the scene.
Officials said a car in the area was on fire when the wind picked up the sparks and carried them to nearby brush.
Firefighters said the spreading of the fire was due to the dry and breezy conditions. There were 15 to 20 mph winds with 25 mph gusts.
The flames were not a direct threat to homes and no roads were closed. However, images from Chopper 6 showed flames climbing up fences in Miami-Dade County residents' back yards.
The fire burnt along railroad tracks that lined a Miami-Dade neighborhood. Officials said the fire threatened about 18 homes in the neighborhood.
Some homeowners took out garden hoses and began battling the fire themselves, firefighters said.
The fire department said the type of grass that caught fire was called cane grass. They said that type of grass is particularly stubborn to put on flames.
Rain and higher humidity was forecasted for Tuesday, but Monday's dry conditions were prime for brushfires, officials said.
Crews were able to get the flames under control within 40 minutes.
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