PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – Firefighters continued fighting a brush fire on Sunday and residents in Pembroke Pines, Miramar and surrounding areas were feeling the effects of the smoke.
Winds shifting south had residents in Weston, Davie and Sunrise feeling some of the impact of the fire.
Some of the residents of a mobile home community said their cars were covered in ashes on Saturday. Some reported experiencing difficulty breathing.
“It’s a little difficult to breathe,” said Robert Collazo, a Pembroke Pines resident. “I feel it when I breathe.”
The flames were burning west of the intersection of U.S. Route 27 and Pines Boulevard.
Officials feared the smoke could affect visibility over the weekend, but Sunday morning saw much less smoke than the past couple days.
“Our concern is the smoke that this large fire will create,” said Kevin MacEwen, district manager of Everglades Florida Forest Service.
Over 20,500 acres of dry land has burned so far, authorities said Sunday morning, adding that the fire is now 90% contained.
The nearby city of Weston warned of smoke in the air and urged anyone with respiratory issues to monitor air quality index.
“If you have breathing difficulties, probably make sure your window are closed and you know stay inside,” MacEwen said.
People living nearby in Pembroke Pines and Miramar found ash covering their cars and dusting their homes.
At one point, flames came within a mile of the Holly Lake Mobile Home Community in southwest Broward County.
The Florida Forest Service put fire trucks behind the mobile home park in case the fames got any closer.
Fire officials said the fire is connected to the L-30 fire which was reported Thursday off Krome Avenue.
“Just be mindful that the smoke could be could be in this area for the next couple of days, especially at night when the winds die down and there is a possibility of fog,” MacEwen said.
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