Forest Service: Everglades fire is controlled burn

Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department cautioning about smoke in the area

WEST BROWARD, Fla. — A brush fire burning by Alligator Alley about two miles west of the Miami-Dade and Broward counties line is not an accidental fire, according to the Florida Forest Service, but a prescribed and controlled burn.

The Forest Service was burning underbrush Thursday afternoon in the Everglades, taking advantage of cooler temperatures as a way to clear out materials that could prove to be fire hazards in the future.

Sky 10 was over the long line of flames, about 3,000 acres, west of US 27 at the County Line and South of Interstate 75.

The burn was generating large amounts of smoke. The Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department tweeted that anyone with respiratory issues is encouraged to stay indoors.

About The Author

Amy Viteri

Amy Viteri is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who joined Local 10 News in September 2015. She's currently an investigative reporter and enjoys uncovering issues facing South Florida communities. A native of the Washington, D.C., area, she's happy to be back in South Florida, where she earned a masters degree at the University of Miami.

Michelle F. Solomon

Michelle F. Solomon is a multi-platform producer/reporter for Local10 and is the podcast producer/reporter/host of the station's original, true-crime podcast The Florida Files and producer of Local10.com's DigiShorts.