MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla – A grass fire near mile marker 125 on U.S. 1 has burned 1,117 acres and is 50% contained, Forestry officials confirmed on Thursday.
The fire, which erupted on Tuesday, caused southbound lanes of U.S. 1 to be closed off due to the smoke, however all lanes have since reopened.
A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue water tanker was seen on Wednesday afternoon spraying water onto the flames.
For hours, troopers were diverting traffic, causing drivers not to be able to go south on U.S. 1.
“The winds pushed some of that fire into the brush on the highway,” said David Rosenbaum, with the Florida Forest Service.
They finally reopened those lanes late Tuesday night, though officials said that could change if the wind and the smoke remain away from the road.
Investigators believe the blaze started due to a pickup truck that caught fire on the Miami-Dade side of the roadway. Officials say it caught fire Tuesday afternoon as it made its way south on U.S. 1 near Card Sound Road, fortunately, the driver is okay.
“Until we do get some more rain in the area these are perfect conditions with the wind and the fuel, the dry vegetation to create fires,” Rosenbaum said.
The fire is traveling quickly, but Florida Forestry Service says that while they are working on this, there is no threat to the roads.