U.S. 1 near Card Sound Road reopens after brush fire forced crews to shut it down

A fast-moving brush fire consumed more than 600 acres Monday and shut down U.S.1 in both directions near Card Sound Road and Southwest 384th Street for five hours.

The fire, dubbed Afternoon Fire by the Florida Forest Service, began at about 3 p.m. Monday on the east side of Card Sound Road, jumped Card Sound, proceeded west and then jumped U.S.1, said Scott Peterich, a spokesman for forestry.

Thick black smoke has diminished visibility in the area, Peterich said.

By 8 p.m., Peterich said the fire had died down “because humidity went up. It could ignite again in the morning.

“We are concentrating on the east side of U.S. 1,” he said.

It was not immediately certain what caused the fire, but Peterich said since there was no lightning, it was likely caused by people.

Miami-Dade Fire crews assisted with the blaze.

This story was originally published March 20, 2017 at 5:57 PM with the headline "U.S. 1 near Card Sound Road reopens after brush fire forced crews to shut it down."