Brush fire, smoky conditions shut down road leading in and out of
Florida Keys
[March 20, 2025]
By FREIDA FRISARO
FORT
LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Traffic was flowing in and out of the Florida
Keys on Wednesday after a brush fire led officials to briefly close U.S.
1, snarling traffic for hours for those trying to enter or leave island
chain.
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In this image taken from video provided by WSVN-TV, a brush fire burns
across and over Card Sound Road, the only other road connecting the Keys
to Florida City on the mainland, as it remains closed Tuesday, March 18,
2025, south of Dade County, Fla. (WSVN-TV via AP) |
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Card Sound Road, the only other road connecting the Keys to
Florida City on the mainland, remained closed because of the
fire, said Kristen Livengood, a spokeswoman for Monroe County.
“I do not have an estimated time frame for when it will reopen,”
Livengood said in an email.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said
motorists could expect lengthy delays along an 18-mile (29
kilometer) stretch of U.S. 1 “as fire crews intermittently block
traffic for fire mitigation/air water drops.”
Florida City is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of
Miami. The fire broke out Tuesday afternoon on the mainland side
of Card Sound Road. The smoky conditions caused authorities to
briefly close U.S. 1, which reopened later Tuesday night.
The area where the fire broke out is largely rural.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the Florida Forest Service were
working to contain the fire. They advised anyone with
respiratory conditions to remain indoors.
It is not rare for brush fires to break out in South Florida
during what is known as dry season. It has also been windy in
the region this week. Rainy season begins in mid-May.
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