Firefighters Battle Massive Blaze Cutting Off Major Florida Cities

Last week, people who were trying to travel to and from the Florida Keys found it nearly impossible to do so. A wildfire had broken out, and it was not expected to be contained anytime soon. For days, a number of roads experienced intermittent closures. This included US-1 and Card Sound Road, both of which lead to the Florida Keys. These fires are said to have started due to the severe drought that Florida is currently experiencing.

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It did not take long at all for this wildfire, which began on Tuesday, to spread far and wide. As a result, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue found themselves in a days long battle with the flames. Footage captured by those nearby help us better understand the size and power of these flames. Some of this footage can be found in the video below.

In order to contain this wildfire, local firefighters took a number of approaches. While some of them remained on the ground, others took to the skies. This allowed them to strategically drop water from above. Thankfully, all of their hard work paid off. On Sunday, the wildfire was officially declared to be contained. In the end, a whopping 27,000 acres were scorched.

While these fires are officially contained, travelers can still expect some lingering smoke caused by hotspots. Essentially, this refers to small areas where there are still active, but contained, fires. As a result, those with respiratory issues are being advised by medical experts to remain indoors for now.

“What we’re doing now is what we call mop-up,” Chief Andy Alvarez of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue explains, “which is basically just putting out those spot fires.”

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