|
Nearly 8,000 Acres Scorched Click10.com
 FLORIDA
CITY, Fla. -- U.S. 1 is closed again after a raging brush fire gained strength
Wednesday afternoon.
The fire has burned about 8,200 acres so far. U.S.
1 south of Florida City and Card Sound Road had both been closed, but Card Sound
Road reopened Wednesday around 1 p.m., as did U.S. 1. But around 4 p.m., U.S.
1 was shut down again.
"Division of Forestry officials were taking a look
at the weather pattern changes, and they noticed that the weather was going to
shift. And they told us to be prepared to close down Card Sound and U.S. 1," Jim
Underwood of the Department of Transportation said.
 Division
of Forestry officials are fighting fire with fire, using modified all-terrain
vehicles (pictured, left) to light backfires.
"We were able to burn off
of the road by setting some backfires and burning all of that vegetation that
otherwise could take another day of burning alongside the road," Gary Lewis of
the Department Of Forestry said.
Officials have said that they are keeping
an eye on the Everglades Youth Camp, a facility about two miles south of Florida
City. If conditions worsen, they may evacuate the area.
Frustrated
Motorists
Around 10 a.m. Wednesday, workers shut down Card Sound Road,
sealing off the only remaining highway leading to the Keys and leaving many motorists
frustrated. However, by 1 p.m., the road reopened.
"I was picking up some
bricks this morning," Steve Bard said. "My business is down in Key Largo; my children
are down there. I just need to get home."
One man caught up in the gridlock
wasn't traveling by car -- he was on a bike.
"I'm really disappointed;
(this is) my annual bicycle trip," Willie Crocker (pictured, right) said. Crocker
said that he'd wait awhile to see if the road is reopened.
Many tourists,
looking forward to some time in the Keys, were also turned away.
Fire
Facts
The fire is immense, having consumed 8,200 acres of land, or
roughly 11 square miles.
The city of Coral Gables is only 12.5 square
miles in area. The city of Miami Beach is only 7 square miles.
Before
the blaze is extinguished, it is expected to scorch even more land.
Fire
Near Metro Zoo
Hotspots near Metro Zoo have firefighters on high alert.
A brush fire near the zoo that crews put out Tuesday flared up again.
The fire is now contained, the zoo is open and the animals are in no danger. |
