As 700-acre brush fire still burns, stretch of SW Eighth Street is back open

A large brush fire, which threw smoke and ashes across West Miami-Dade most of the day Sunday, jumped Krome Avenue late into the afternoon, posing a threat to nearby structures including the Krome Detention Center and the Everglades Correctional Institution.

“We’ve got a pretty significant fire,” Florida Forest Service spokesman Scott Peterich said.

By Sunday evening the fire, dubbed Trail Fire, spread to 670 acres and kept Southwest Eighth Street between 137th Avenue and Krome Avenue closed into the night.

By late Sunday evening, the road had reopened.

It was not known exactly what started the blaze, but Peterich said it was likely caused by a person.

“All we can do is hope the winds change and we can get out arms around it better tomorrow,” Peterich said.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue assisted the forestry service through the day by trying to keep the fire from spreading to nearby homes. More than 20 units responded and the department’s helicopters dumped thousands of gallons of water on the fire to help quell the flames.

Peterich, who said 12 forestry units responded, said while the fire was expected to calm down overnight, it will likely pick up again Monday because the windy weather pattern is expected to continue for the next two days.

According to the National Weather Service, winds were gusting at 30-40 mph.

The winds also kicked up a brush fire in Palm Beach County. Authorities on Sunday afternoon shut down a stretch of Interstate 95 in Palm Beach Gardens between Northlake Boulevard and Donald Ross Road as 80 acres burned.

A similar brush fire on Saturday shut down Florida’s Turnpike in Northwest Miami-Dade.

This story was originally published March 5, 2017 at 12:37 PM with the headline "As 700-acre brush fire still burns, stretch of SW Eighth Street is back open ."