It started with a deafening boom. Then came the powerful flames taking over the wooden planks of a North Miami bridge.

Before long the fire was under control.

With that, Burn Notice -- a show that revolves around a CIA operative working in Miami -- finished up shooting an action-packed scene in North Miami's Arch Creek nature preserve on Aug. 17. The episode, which is part of the show's third season, will air in February or March.

``It was a very controlled explosion,'' the show's producer Terry Miller said. ``Everything was left the way it was when we got there.''

Leonard Ferretti, who takes frequent walks along the nature preserve trials, was surprised when he encountered the Burn Notice crews -- and was told they would be setting off explosives.

``They couldn't find anywhere else to shoot?'' asked Leonard Ferretti, who lives nearby. ``It's like an oxymoron to blow up a bridge in an environmentally protected area where there are fish, birds and other animal life.''

City officials and show representatives say the fire was closely monitored and no wildlife was threatened.

City spokeswoman Pam Solomon said TVM Productions, the production crew that shoots Burn Notice for 20th Century Fox, received all the necessary permits to film the scene. North Miami police officers were also on hand during the shoot.

``This is not something they can just do without clearance from the city,'' Solomon said.

The bridge blow-up was actually a bit of Hollywood magic.

Miller -- who would not reveal too much about the episode -- said that crews built an extension on the existing Northeast 135th Street bridge for the explosion. The show's main character, Michael Westen -- played by Jeffrey Donovan -- rigs the bridge as a diversion. The existing bridge was not compromised, Miller said.

``The preserve was perfect for what we were looking to do,'' Miller said.

North Miami is not new to the spotlight. From the days of Miami Vice to the many commercials shot in residential neighborhoods, Solomon said the city frequently welcomes production crews.

``It is good exposure for the city,'' she said.

Burn Notice has filmed scenes throughout Miami-Dade, including the Coconut Grove Expo Center, Crandon Park Beach, Marine Stadium and locations in downtown Miami and the Miami River.

The area that was used for the Burn Notice scene was recently designated as the Arch Creek East Environmental Preserve, which includes a 13-acre tract of waterfront property. The parcel abuts Florida International University's Biscayne Bay Campus.

As part of the agreement for using the parcel, the show donated $1,000 to the city to set aside for the nature preserve.

North Miami City Councilman Scott Galvin, who represents the Arch Creek area, said he was thrilled the show filmed in the city.

``I'm a huge fan,'' he said. ``I think it will be really neat to be able to say, `Hey that's North Miami.' ''