Florida Everglades wildfire explodes in size near Miami #Shorts

Milena Malaver

Miami Herald

(TNS)

In what is now deemed the largest wildfire in Florida this year, the Everglades blaze that has been blowing smoke into Broward County, has grown to 42,000 acres, the Florida Forest Service said Thursday afternoon.

While the fire triggered an overnight air quality alert, which how now been lifted, South Floridians can still expect to see smoky and hazy skies, according to the National Weather Service.

The alert — triggered by the wildfire near Alligator Alley — ran from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. Thursday, likely due to light winds throughout the night, Miami weather service meteorologist Chuck Caracozza said.

The wind “was very light, so the smoke layer was just stagnant,” he said. “It doesn’t have a chance to mix or move or anything like that, so that could affect the air quality.”

Thursday’s winds are moving southwest, continuing to push smoke from the “Mile Marker 39 Fire” into parts of Broward and southern Palm Beach counties. While Miami-Dade has had some smoke, conditions south of the fire remain better.

Since starting Monday, the fire has burned over 42,000 acres, according to the Florida Forest Service. The fire, which is 10% contained as of Thursday afternoon, is concentrated in the 3A North Conservation Area of Everglades, which is bordered on the north by the Broward- Palm Beach county line, 1-75 to the south and U.S. 27 to the east, and Francis S. Taylor wildlife management area, the service said.

This fire is nearly twice the size of a South Miami-Dade fire that intermittently shut down roads to the Florida Keys, which burned for over a week in March.

For comparison, Walt Disney World Resort in Kissimmee, south of Orlando is just over 25,000 acres.

Multiple fire crews are on scene with engines, specialized equipment and aviation and helicopter assistance.

Fire suppression has been hindered by wetlands, according to the service. Crews are surveying the area with airboats and continue to work in the areas that are accessible.

Broward County is experiencing the worst air quality in South Florida, though levels remain in the yellow “moderate” range.

Though many parts of the county are in the green “good” range, as of Thursday afternoon.

AirNow, which releases air quality data and is part of the Environmental Protection Agency, advises that “unusually sensitive people” should limit their time outdoors.

What parts of South Florida will be affected the most?

It’s hard to say, said Caracozza, but anywhere in metro Broward County should expect smoke to be blown into the area.