MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A grass fire is burning Tuesday in west Miami-Dade, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials confirmed.
The fire was reported around 10:45 a.m. 10 miles west of Krome Avenue near Southwest Eighth Street. All westbound traffic was closed in the area.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said the fire was being driven by strong winds.
They are working with forestry officials to get the fire under control on the ground and by air.
By Tuesday afternoon, 240 acres had been burned, officials confirmed.
According to authorities, no nearby structures are currently affected by the fire; however, the flames were dangerously close to nearby homes at one point, forcing residents to evacuate.
"There is a camp with several homes and structures on it. We have been protecting that both by the air and ground. We have air rescue that has been doing water drops," Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt. Kirsten Miller said.
Officials said the eaterly wind has been pushing the fire westward.
"They have essentially boxed the fire in. Because of the due easterly wind, the fire is just going in one direction. It's not meandering north or south, which is very beneficial," Scott Peterich, of the Florida Forest Service, said.
It's unclear how the fire started.