Brush Fires In The Everglades Push Smoke & Ash Over Parts Of Weston

BROWARD (CBSMiami) -- More than 8,000 acres of Everglades is burning in three separate fires.  One of them is just northwest of Markham Park.

Forestry officials estimated that one was at 900 acres earlier in the day.  But throughout the day, it has grown.

In southern Palm Beach County, near the Broward line, there are two fires.  One is 5,000 acres, the other is 1,056 acres.

That fire near Markham Park is growing sending smoke drifting into parts of Weston.

"I just drove in off the 75 and you could see the smoke billowing between Indian trace and Glades," said Katheena Espada.

She noticed the ash raining down all over cars.

"We're seeing like, flakes of the soot coming down and it look hazy, like a haze in the air," she said.

David Rosenbaum is with the Florida Forest Service.

Pointing at the Broward fire, he said, "You can see since you arrived earlier today that the column of smoke has picked up in activity more of the sawgrass area is burning."

These fires are growing.  The dead underbrush fuels them. He said it was Mother Nature who sparked three fires Wednesday.  All of them are relatively close to one another.

"The thunderstorms activity generated frequently lightning, and these fires are the result of those lightning strikes," he said.

All that smoke and ash can be dangerous for some, especially when it blows into populated areas.

"If you have asthma, respiratory disease, heart disease, you should try to avoid exposure to smoke," said Dr. Christopher Chang from Memorial Health Care.

He is an immunology and allergy specialist. With all this smoke, he suggests people with health issues wear an N95 mask.

"Wearing a mask outdoors, and staying indoors, running your air conditioning system especially if it has a filtering system.  All those things help," he said.

CBS4 went out on an airboat to get a closer look at the two fires near the Broward County line.  So far, no homes are in danger. But according to Captain Bill Ferris from Cypress Outdoor Adventures, that could change as there are cabins out on some of the islands.

"What's the concern today?" CBS4's Ted Scouten asked.

"Them being destroyed.  The fire could sweep thru and damage some of these cabins or destroy them entirely," he said.

Forestry officials believe the wind could shift again, pushing the smoke into western Broward suburbs.