MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — An air quality alert is in effect for Miami-Dade County Monday as two brush fires that erupted last week continue to burn.
A south-east wind direction has helped push the smoke and haze from the brush fires more inland so air quality has improved for much of Broward County, but there is an air quality alert in effect for Miami-Dade until 3 p.m.
The fire dubbed “Quarry 2,” east of Krome Avenue, has been the most widespread, burning 19,018 acres so far. It is 97% contained, while the Well fire, near Northwest 122nd Avenue, has burned 2,749 acres. It is 85% contained.
No road closures are currently in effect due to the wildfires.
Airboat operators, meanwhile, told Local 10 News Monday that water levels are now too low to reach some of the burned areas.
The low water comes after months of wildfire activity across west Miami-Dade and the Everglades.
In April, the Highway 41 fire burned more than 9,000 acres along the Tamiami Trail.
Last week, the Quarry 2 fire grew west of Doral, and the Well fire ignited a day later nearby, burning nearly 3,000 acres.
As of this weekend, crews were still working to contain the Corrections fire in west Miami-Dade.
Back in April, Local 10 was able to ride through some of the areas impacted by the Highway 41 fire.
From the airboat, you could see miles of charred sawgrass and blackened vegetation.
On Monday, operators said some of those areas are too shallow to reach.
Firefighters have repeatedly pointed to dry conditions as a challenge in recent weeks. And those who spend their days in the Everglades say they’re seeing the effects firsthand.
For now, the same dry conditions that helped fuel recent fires are now making some of those areas impossible to reach -- a reminder that in the Everglades too much fire often starts with too little water.
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