Fort Louderdale, Fla. (WFLA) – Two fires at the Florida Everglades merged into one, sending dense smoke into South Florida, prompting a safety warning from authorities.
By Wednesday, the flames had burned more than 19,000 acres, forcing smoke spreading across the southern part of the state to issue air quality warnings to Broward County officials, according to NBC affiliate WTVJ.
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A biker in Weston on Wednesday morning told WTVJ that the area appeared to be covered in fog, but a clear smell suggesting that haze in the air was indeed smoke.
“It was definitely tough to ride today,” Daniela Us said. “It was extremely difficult to breathe this morning, just like I had to ride. My mind went through the roof. It looked like fog, but I could smell it. It’s not fog. It’s fire.”
The first flame, called Mile Marker 39 Fire, was detected on Monday. Florida Firefighters said it had burned to 1,600 acres by Monday afternoon. The flames were combined with a small sawgrass fire on Wednesday, weighing up to 19,200 acres.
The National Weather Service notified Broward County residents that air quality alerts were in effect Wednesday morning as smoke was expected to drift east beyond I-75 towards the more populated area.
The sloppy conditions were also seen in Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale. There, firefighters said they received several calls regarding thick smoke in the neighborhood.
Stephen Golan, a Fort Lauderdale Fire and Rescue Tribe, told WPTV that smoke could raise health concerns to some people. He said he would advise people with respiratory problems and other existing conditions to stay inside and make sure the windows are closed.
“It’s absolutely no harm to everyone else,” Golan said. “It’s the same as sitting by a campfire.”
NWS Air Quality Alerts are active until Thursday morning. As of Wednesday afternoon, authorities said the structure was not at risk. Firefighters continued to work to extinguish the big flames.
