Florida wildfire closes 18-Mile Stretch of US1 again for third straight day, severing link to Keys
The fire has been burning in the southern Miaimi-Dade County area near the highway and ballooned to 22,000 acres on Thursday while only remaining 20% contained, according to the Florida Forest Service.
But nearly the entire eastern half of the Florida Peninsula is on alert for wildfires Thursday, prompting officials to urge residents once again to avoid outdoor burning.
How To Watch Fox Weather
A video shared by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue shows crews driving through the flames and smoke during the emergency response, as well as helicopters battling the fire from above.
Officials had warned residents in the region that smoke could drift into neighborhoods, leading to air quality issues.
Download The Free Fox Weather App
"It's also spring break for many people across the country," FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera said. "And many people go to this part of the country for spring break. So, whether you live there or you're visiting, you know that this is a concern (Thursday)."
The 18-Mile Stretch was only closed for less than an hour on Wednesday but faced a several-hour closure on Tuesday. Officials have no estimate when the road is expected to reopen Thursday.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has focused an elevated or critical wildfire risk on most of the eastern half of the Florida Peninsula, including millions of people from Orlando to Melbourne and southward through West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
In tandem, Fire Weather Warnings are in effect for several counties along Florida's east coast from the Daytona Beach area south along Interstate 95 into Miami.
The FOX Forecast Center said a cold front associated with a powerful storm that brought blizzard conditions to the Plains and severe weather to the Midwest and Great Lakes on Wednesday will see strong winds and low relative humidity out ahead of it.
And with the lack of precipitation and the Sunshine State experiencing some drought conditions, that would allow for wildfires to quickly spread if one was to ignite.Original article source: Florida wildfire closes 18-Mile Stretch of US1 again for third straight day, severing link to Keys
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
3 hours ago
- Fox News
North Carolina braces for impact from Hurricane Erin
FOX Weather's Katie Byrne reports from Nags Head, North Carolina, as a state of emergency is issued.
CBS News
4 hours ago
- CBS News
Maps show Hurricane Erin's path off East Coast as it starts moving away from North Carolina shoreline
Hurricane Erin was beginning to move away from the North Carolina coast early Thursday after bringing tropical storm conditions to the state's Outer Banks, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said as it cautioned people not to swim at most U.S. East Coast beaches due to "life-threatening surf and rip currents." Erin isn't expected to make landfall in the U.S., but storm surge warnings remain in place for parts of North Carolina and parts of the Outer Banks are under evacuation orders. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency in the state. "This is a life-threatening situation," the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in its 8 a.m. update Thursday. "Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions." Meanwhile, a tropical storm warning is in effect for a swath of the North Carolina and Virginia coastline. Erin, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, was a Category 2 storm early Thursday as it churned over the Atlantic off the southeast U.S. coast. It exploded to a Category 5 on Saturday before being downgraded, and its strength fluctuated in recent days. As of 8 a.m. Thursday, Erin had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and was moving north-northeast at 17 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm's center was about 210 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and 440 miles west-northwest of Bermuda. The hurricane center said "gradual weakening is forecast during the next couple of days" and "Erin is expected to become post-tropical by Saturday." A Category 2 hurricane is defined as having maximum sustained winds from 96 mph to 110 mph. Erin was just under what's considered a major storm, capable of causing devastating damage with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph. The center of the storm was expected to move over the western Atlantic between the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda through early Friday, then pass south of Atlantic Canada on Friday and Saturday, the hurricane center said. Erin is a "large and growing" storm, with hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 105 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds extending up to 320 miles from the center, forecasters said. Tropical storm warnings were in effect from Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, to Chincoteague, Virginia, including Pamlico and Albemarle sounds. A tropical storm watch was posted for Bermuda. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, while a watch means they are possible. A storm surge warning was also issued for the Outer Banks, meaning there was a danger of life-threatening inundation from coastal flooding. A "spaghetti map" of the forecast models shows the storm skirting the Caribbean islands and remaining well offshore of the U.S. East Coast as it moves north and curves back over the Atlantic. A high-pressure system in the Atlantic was expected to steer Erin away from the U.S. coast while a cold front was also forecast to push the hurricane offshore, CBS News Bay Area meteorologist Jessica Burch reported. Erin isn't forecast to hit the U.S. directly, though tropical storm conditions were hitting parts of the Outer Banks early Thursday. Forecasters warned of dangerous storm surge combining with high tide could flood areas with as much as 2 feet to 4 feet of water. Evacuations were ordered for Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island in the Outer Banks ahead of the expected flooding. Rough ocean conditions were also expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip currents. Hatteras and Ocracoke islands were vulnerable to waves of 15 feet to 20 feet, forecasters said. The dangerous conditions resulted in dozens of people being rescued this week in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Mike Brennan, the hurricane center's director, said the dangerous conditions were expected to last for much of the week across almost the entire East Coast. He urged people to heed any warnings from local officials. "It's just not going to be a very safe environment to be in the ocean," Brennan said. Rip currents are narrow channels of fast-moving water that commonly occur along U.S. coastlines and can pull even strong swimmers away from shore. They're the reason for more than 80% of beach rescues. In addition to the warnings along the North Carolina coast, some beaches ranging from South Florida up to New England are also taking precautions. Erin is expected to bring dangerous rip currents along the Jersey Shore and south-facing New York beaches, CBS News New York reported, with the risk continuing through the week. Officials at some New Jersey beaches and the popular summer destination of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, prohibited swimming as a precaution, and more closures may follow. "You're allowed on the beach, but you will not be allowed in the water because we have treacherous conditions going on right now," said Ed Schneider, beach patrol captain in Wildwood, New Jersey, told CBS News Philadelphia. "We have a rip current warning, we have [a] rough surf warning, we have [a] storm warning, and conditions are bad." Erin formed as a tropical storm last week west of the island nation of Cabo Verde, a few hundred miles off Africa's western coast. It is the fifth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which started in June and runs through November. Erin strengthened to a hurricane on Friday. So far this year, Tropical Storm Chantal is the only one to have made landfall in the U.S., bringing deadly flooding to North Carolina in early July. In June, Barry made landfall as a tropical depression on Mexico's eastern coast. Erin's increased strength comes as the Atlantic hurricane season approaches its peak in September. According to the hurricane center, most of the season's activity typically happens between mid-August and mid-October. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, hurricane season starts on May 15 with a peak in activity typically seen in late August. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, forecast an above-normal season for the Atlantic this year, expecting between 13 and 18 named storms. Tropical storms have maximum sustained winds of at least 39 mph. Forecasters with NOAA anticipated that between five and nine of the storms this year could become hurricanes, which have sustained winds of at least 74 mph. Hurricanes are rated on a scale based on their wind speeds, ranging from Category 1, the weakest, to Category 5, the most severe rating. NOAA forecasters predicted there could be between two and five major hurricanes in the Atlantic this Nolan contributed to this report.
CBS News
5 hours ago
- CBS News
Hot and humid across South Florida, wildfire smoke causing hazy conditions
Smoke from a large wildfire burning in the Everglades in western Broward County is drifting over parts of South Florida and impacting air quality. The fire, which has consumed 19,200 acres according to the Florida Forest Service, remains uncontained. Winds will steer the smoke over parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties throughout the day which could impact visibility in spots. Residents should limit outdoor activities, especially those with respiratory conditions. It will be hazy, hot and humid with highs in the low to mid 90s in the afternoon. When the humidity is factored in, it will feel like the upper 90s and low 100s. Showers and storms will develop in the afternoon and help bring some relief from the heat and assist in the containment of the wildfire. There is a dangerous high risk of rip currents along the Atlantic beaches through Saturday afternoon due to rough surf caused by Hurricane Erin. It is not safe to go swimming due to the life-threatening rip currents. There are no alerts or advisories on Thursday for boaters along the Atlantic or Florida Keys waters. Friday will be another scorcher with highs soaring close to the mid 90s. It will feel like the triple-digits when the humidity is factored in. Scattered storms will develop in the afternoon. This weekend will be sizzling with highs in the low to mid 90s and the potential for passing storms on Saturday and Sunday.
