BRUSH FIRE BATTLE CONTINUES NEAR THE FLORIDA KEYS; CARD SOUND ROAD REMAINS CLOSED

Site visitors out and in of the Florida Keys was shut down for practically 5 hours on March 18 as a brush hearth burned 1000’s of acres in southeast Miami-Dade County close to the 18-Mile Stretch and Card Sound Highway. 

Site visitors reopened on the Stretch yesterday night, however Card Sound Highway stays closed as crews battle comprise the blaze. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned Wednesday morning there’s no ETA for reopening.

Miami-Dade Hearth Rescue and the Florida Hearth Service arrived on the scene of a rapidly-spreading blaze simply earlier than 5 p.m. With tankers and air help dropping water, crews battled the ferocious flames nicely into the night. Card Sound Highway was closed, and never lengthy after that, the 18-Mile Stretch was shut down with the emergence of flames and heavy smoke. Dry climate and winds aided the fireplace’s capability to unfold. 

With closures lasting hours into the night, Key Largo and Florida Metropolis became a large car parking zone as automobiles had been unable to traverse the 2 essential thoroughfares out and in of the Keys. In Key Largo, retailer and enterprise parking heaps had been stuffed as motorists waited it out. The Winn Dixie car parking zone at MM 105.3 stuffed up as folks could possibly be seen strolling their canines, consuming and tenting out, mentioned Key Largo resident Emilie Caldwell Stewart. 

On U.S. 1, autos had been stacked northbound from the Stretch to MM 99. 

Site visitors on the Stretch was finally reopened round 9 p.m., though the Monroe County Sheriff’s Workplace suggested motorists to keep away from touring if doable because of the smoke. Motorists had been capable of catch a glimpse of the blaze as autos moved slowly on the Stretch.

Smells of smoke from the blaze in Miami-Dade went as far south as Islamorada. Within the sky, clouds of smoke could possibly be seen because the solar started to set. Residents and motorists within the Higher Keys skilled some hazy circumstances as results of the comb hearth.

Officers say firefighting crews have 20% containment of the fireplace.

The reason for the blaze was not instantly recognized, though the Nationwide Climate Service issued hearth warnings earlier within the week for many of Miami-Dade, with little to no rain failing in current weeks and decrease humidity ranges. The warning wasn’t lively on the time of the blaze, though circumstances appeared ripe for elevated threat of brush fires. 

No accidents to individuals or threats to buildings had been reported.