The National Weather Service issued its third fire alarm this week in South Florida as a vast brush fire in South Miami-Dade County consumed more than 24,000 acres. Forecasters are again warning residents that more flames could be generated and proliferated soon.
The latest alert, Fire Weather Watch, is available Friday mornings, in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, from evening to evening.
The fire weather forecast differs from the two red flag warnings that took effect on Monday and Thursday. The clock has been removed a step, indicating impending weather conditions that will burn a fire, but the warning tells residents that those conditions are actively occurring.
Anyway, predictors are windy (10-15 mph with gusts of up to 25 mph), low humidity (about 20%), and high temperatures (mid- to 70s). These factors describe the key conditions for the rapid development and spread of fires.
These conditions have actively fueled a massive brush fire in southeast Miami near Homestead and the city of Florida that caused traffic mayhem, and have intermittently shut down the sole route to Florida keys for several days.
As of Friday morning, US 1 was open, but drivers could experience intermittent closures and delays, according to Miami-Dade County Emergency Management. Card Sound Road remained closed, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
The fire began more than a week ago and grew and strengthened due to dry air and strong winds.
On Tuesday, the Florida Forest Service said it had burned about 2,000 acres, including 20%. A day later, the agency said it had spread to 4,000 acres with roughly the same percentage of containment.
By Thursday, the Red Flag warning had been activated, so Miami Dade Fire Rescue told the Miami Herald that the flames were burning 24,000 acres of brushes.
