A substantial grass fire in southwest Miami-Dade caused major traffic disruptions Wednesday as officials were forced to shut down the Florida Turnpike for hours. The blaze, reported near Southwest 112th Avenue and Southwest 256th Street, commenced shortly after 4 p.m., with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and other units swarming to combat the flames, as reported by WSVN.

More than 15 units worked diligently to aggressively contain the fire, which had rapidly spread over an approximate area of 20 acres. In a bid to control the situation, the Florida Forest Service joined the operation, with aerial support working to quickly douse the hotspots. This active response let them to partially reopen the Turnpike by 6:40 p.m., as captured by traffic cameras, despite initially shutting it down in both directions at 248th Street, as stated by in a post by Florida 511 Turnpike on X.

 

Wildfire in Miami-Dade County on Floridas Turnpike South, at Exit 9: Allapattah Road (SW 112th Avenue). On-ramp closed, All lanes closed. Last updated at 06:27 PM. https://t.co/8T8akuGur5

— Florida's Turnpike (@fl511_turnpike) April 24, 2024

 

Locals experienced significant inconvenience due to the rush-hour traffic jams and detouring. Bernise Velez Martinez, a resident in the vicinity of the inferno, told WSVN, "Fire is not judgmental. It can skip, you know, from one place to another," expressing fears over the fire potentially spreading to residential areas. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, and local officials advised residents to stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed.

By 9 p.m. Wednesday, the fire was reportedly 90% contained, according to the Florida Forest Service. A united front of firefighters and air rescue teams were said to have turned their focus on tackling the lingering flames on the west side. These efforts were undertaken as police guided traffic away from the endangered area, diverting cars onto Southwest 112th Avenue during the peak of the rush hour, as noted by NBC Miami.

As investigations into the cause of the fire continue, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue has echoed pride in their rapid response, with local resident Velez Martinez praising them stating, "You can see the hard work and, uh, troopers," in a statement obtained by WSVN.