COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — A massive brush fire in Collier County’s Big Cypress National Preserve is causing smoky conditions on Alligator Alley, affecting visibility and travel.
The fire, which is 0% contained, has scorched 25,000 acres and was spreading as of Wednesday.
“We’ve been here for one day and then we find out, ‘Oh, this is another issue that we have to get considered,’” tourist Lou Harvin said at an Alligator Alley rest area. “I wear a pacemaker, and I’m concerned about breathing issues and I’m constantly concerned about environmental issues as they come up.”
Officials with the Florida Forest Service and National Weather Service are keeping a watchful eye as the flames rip through the center of the preserve.
They say residents in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties need to stay on high alert.
The National Weather Service posted an alert on social media about hazardous driving conditions through Alligator Alley.
It states that there are concerns about dense smoke as the blaze, dubbed the “National Fire,” continues to burn and grow just south of the interstate.
The Coral Springs Fire Department is calling for people with respiratory issues to stay inside. Doctors say the smoke is especially concerning for people with asthma, COPD and heart disease.
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