Hot Spots Remain At SW Dade Brush Fire
SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE (CBS4) – A brush fire near Zoo Miami is mostly out.
Tuesday afternoon all that remained of it were several small sputtering fires that were going out on their own.
"We are putting water on the hot spots that are burning right now, so we will be watching this area for the rest of the day," said Gary Lewis of the Florida Forest Service.
The fire ignited in the area around 193rd Street and 203rd Avenue just after 4 p.m.
"The cause was incendiary. It maybe accidental," said Lewis. "It's a little dry out, it could've been a cigarette, but it was an intentionally set fire."
On Monday, nervous neighbors watched from the sidewalk, as police and firefighters shut down SW 122nd Avenue near SW 175th Street. A shift in the wind caused concern for home owners on the east side of the avenue and forced Miami-Dade firefighters to spring into action to stop the flames from advancing.
"It really is upsetting people would do something like that whether it was intentional or not. They don't realize the danger," said resident Diane Holmes. "I'm staying in the house right now, except when I have to go out and get the dogs."
Florida Division of Forestry firefighters set back fires in the natural preserve area near Zoo Miami, while Miami-Dade firefighters soaked the flames with water from their trucks and nearby hydrants.
By 7 p.m., the bulk of the flames had been extinguished.
