South Miami-Dade resident Nico Maldonado says commuting in and out of the Keys typically takes him 40 minutes on most days.
But the massive brush fire that broke out recently has added several hours to his drive to and from home. One trip took him nearly four hours.
Maldonado works for an audio visual contractor doing regular work at Ocean Reef Club, a golf club in North Key Largo. He says most of his coworkers, like him, live in the southern part of Miami-Dade County — areas like Florida City, Homestead and Cutler Bay — and commute down to work in the Keys.
“Everything revolves around Card Sound to get to Ocean Reef,” Maldonado told WLRN.
“There was one point where I was looking to my right on U.S. 1 , and I could see the fire tens to hundreds of yards away," he said.
Maldonado is among thousands of local residents coping with road closures and dangerous air quality with the breakout of a massive brush fire in southeast Miami-Dade.
The fire has burned about 26,400 acres of a non-residential area around Card Sound Road and the 18-mile stretch of U.S. 1 — the only two routes in and out of the Florida Keys. Only 30% of the fire has been contained, according to the Florida Forest Service, which has teamed up with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials to battle the blaze.
“I do know of some people who are a bit worried about what (the fire spreading) could mean,” said Angelica Salazar, a teacher at a school in Homestead. “Especially for the safety of their lives and also of their jobs.”
Standing beneath a slightly hazy sky, Salazar said the smell of smoke has hung in the air since the fire began ramping up earlier this week. Cars in the school parking lot are also covered in ashes, she said.
The fire isn’t a threat to homes or businesses, authorities say, but they warn that low humidity and strong winds identified by the National Weather Service across South and Central Florida can cause wildfires to spread quickly. They also say shifting winds may increase smoky conditions.
The National Weather Service issued a Fire Weather Watch for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties that is in effect through Friday evening.
On Tuesday, officials shut down Card Sound Road and the 18-mile stretch. Since then, Card Sound has remained closed as crews work to quell the area, and the 18-mile stretch has closed intermittently, causing traffic standstills.
READ MORE: Fire officials: South Miami-Dade brush fire 30% contained. Expect traffic delays
At the only entrance into the Florida Keys, the sound of Miami Dade Fire Rescue and Florida Forest Service trucks rumble in and out of an open field as helicopters swirl overhead.
Bishop Mitchell, a construction landscaper, told WLRN said his trip was agonizing.
“I didn’t get home until like 8 p.m. Thursday night. It sucked. It’s supposed to be a 3-hour drive but it turned into like an 8-hour drive,” he said.
The only two public bus lines traveling between South Dade and the Florida Keys were suspended until further notice, according to Miami Dade County’s 311 line.
Route 301, the Dade-Monroe Express, and Route 302, the Card Sound Express, are operated by Miami-Dade County. They’re a lifeline for some South Dade workers who commute into the Upper and Middle Keys for work every day.
The Florida Forest Service had 27 personnel, multiple engines, tractors, bulldozers and helicopters on scene as of Thursday, as well as strike teams from across the state, according to a release from Florida Department of Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue also sent out 25 units, a water tanker, and two air rescue units to assist. The U.S. Forest Service is also responding, according to Simpson.
The ongoing burn also temporarily impacted local internet services.
Spokespeople from both Comcast, which operates the internet provider Xfinity, and AT&T confirmed to WLRN that their network infrastructures were impacted. The damage caused temporary wireless disruptions for some Monroe County residents, which have since been resolved.
The City of Homestead sent out a statement Thursday night saying that some customers may lose power due to infrastructure damage as well.
Safety Precautions
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue urges nearby residents to limit their time outdoors, and keep the windows and doors to their homes closed. They also advise motorists traveling near the area to keep vehicle windows closed and run the air conditioning on recirculate mode.
Children, women who are pregnant and people with asthma, chronic pulmonary disease or heart disease need to be especially careful about breathing smoke from a wildfire, according to a spokesperson for the American Red Cross. They also suggest avoiding using candles, gas, propane, wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, or aerosol sprays and not to fry or broil meat, smoke tobacco products, or vacuum.
For the latest information on road closures in the area, motorists can visit fl511.com. Other sources information are available through social media, specifically the X, formerly Twitter, page of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the Facebook page of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
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