Roll up your windows. If you’re wondering what that bad smell is, a landfill is on fire.
If you live in South Miami-Dade you may be wondering why your neighborhood smells a little foul today. A large landfill fire is to blame.
Just after 7 a.m. Thursday, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue raced to a first-alarm landfill fire near Southwest 240 Street and 97th Avenue in Homestead. Heavy fire was coming from a mountain of trash in the landfill when firefighters arrived, fire rescue said.
As of 11:16 a.m., one acre of landfill was burning as aerial and ground crews worked to contain the fire. Landfill fires are a challenge to firefighters because of wind conditions and materials in the rubbish.
Parts of the fire are inaccessible to firefighters on the ground, so Air Rescue is on the scene making water drops with the “Bambi Bucket.” There are no reported injuries and no estimated time on when the fire will be extinguished.
The fire has caused smoky conditions that are affecting the area west of Southwest 97th Avenue between 240th and 248th streets.
Fire rescue says “anyone that suffers from respiratory conditions is advised to keep indoor air as clean as possible.” If you have asthma or another lung disease, make sure you follow your healthcare provider’s directions.
Keep your windows and doors closed and run your air conditioner.
This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 4:15 PM.
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