West Miami-Dade Brush Fire Has Charred Approximately 400 Acres
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A brush fire in the area of SW 8 Street and SW 137 Avenue in Miami-Dade has charred approximately 385 acres.
According to the Florida Forest Service, the blaze was 40% contained.
The brush fire started Tuesday afternoon around 4 p.m.
Crews are challenged by the rough terrain in this area.
As firefighters battled it on the ground, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue performed water drops. Thick smoke from the fire could be seen miles away.
Those who live in the area were concerned about seeing it on their drive home.
"I was alarmed. I was like holy smoke. It could be right next to my house. I thought it could be around my house and got closer and it was in the woods," said Morgan Miranda.
While no injuries have been reported, those with respiratory problems could be bothered by the smoke.
"We have to inhale all that nasty smoke that has to be around for a couple of days," said Morgan.
"We've had it out west further and when the wind is blowing to the east you can feel it," said Willy Guerra. "I mean I have a tracheotomy, so air quality really affects me a lot."
Brush fires in March, it's not the first time and it won't be the last. Forestry officials said it wouldn't be uncommon for brush fires to pop up in other areas.
"Yeah, I've seen it burn before. I've been here since 2017 in the area," said Morgan. "It's sad. That's not the first time those woods have caught on fire. That's the ecosystem for some animals."
Fire rescue said with Wednesday's east winds, the fire is moving away from residential areas.