Tamiami Trail Reopens After Smoke Shut It Down
MIAMI (CBS4) – The Florida Highway Patrol has reopened a large portion of Tamiami Trail which was shutdown overnight due to smoky conditions from a brush fire.
The Trail, also known as U.S. 41, was closed from Krome Avenue in Miami-Dade County to State Road 29 in Collier County since nearly 3:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.
Smoke from the brushfire made conditions unsafe for driving but conditions have cleared up so traffic is moving again.
The brush fire was sparked Monday by a lightning strike in the southern part of Everglades National Park.
The park's fire assessment team determined they were going to take advantage of the situation and do a prescribed burn which had already been scheduled for later this month.
The wind and potential for rain made it a great opportunity, according to Everglades National Park spokeswoman Linda Friar.
By Tuesday evening, ash from the fire and the lingering smell of smoke blew all the way into Doral. Cars were covered in ash Tuesday.
As long as the fire is burning, there's the potential for haze and smoky conditions.
Since the beginning of the year there have been more than 4,300 wildfires across the state which have burned nearly 278,000 acres.
