Residents near Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay woke Aug. 15 to hazy skies and the smell of smoke after a fast-growing wildfire near Krome Avenue burned roughly 700 acres overnight, shutting down the road and raising visibility concerns across the Kendall Drive corridor.
The blaze, dubbed the Radio Tower Fire, broke out Thursday afternoon at 5755 SW 177th Ave. in the Everglades east of Krome Avenue. By Friday afternoon it had consumed 188 acres. By 10:30 p.m. Aug. 14, it had exploded to approximately 700 acres and was 50% contained, according to the Florida Forest Service, WSVN reported.
Why officials shut down Krome Avenue
Miami-Dade Police shut down Krome Avenue between SW 8th Street and SW 88th Street due to low visibility from the smoke plume, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, CBS News Miami reported. The National Weather Service Miami confirmed the smoke plume caused the closure Friday evening. Fire crews awaited aerial equipment to drop water from a nearby lake.
The road was expected to remain closed until officials determined it was safe for drivers to pass. No reopening time had been announced as of late Friday.
Smoke and haze raise visibility concerns
Heavy smoke and haze raised visibility concerns for Aug. 15 morning commuters. Light winds Friday caused smoke to stagnate over the area rather than disperse.
NBC Miami reported that residents west of Florida's Turnpike near Kendall Drive could smell smoke in the air. The fires are burning closer to residential areas than blazes in recent months, though Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said neither fire currently threatens residential or commercial structures.
No injuries or property damage have been reported.
NBC Miami meteorologist Chelsea Ambriz said in the station's Aug. 14 coverage that "dry conditions have provided kindling for the fire," noting South Florida is down more than a foot of rain compared to normal. She said winds were expected to pick up to 5-10 mph later Friday, pushing smoke north and west, away from metro areas.
@FernandoDiaz: "It was really bad this morning, a lot of smoke and bad"
A second, smaller fire nearby
A second blaze, the Trail Fire near SW 8th Street and 172nd Avenue, burned 25 acres and was 80% contained as of Friday. Officials said it was not producing smoke.
The Florida Forest Service assisted Miami-Dade Fire Rescue in battling both fires.
How this fire compares to last week's Bluegill Fire
The Radio Tower Fire is separate from the Bluegill Fire that burned more than 815 acres near U.S. 41 the week of Aug. 8. Residents should monitor Miami-Dade Police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue social media channels for road reopening updates.
