A relentless wildfire continues to cause trouble in South Florida, temporarily shutting down the main highway connecting the Florida Keys to the mainland.
On Wednesday afternoon, both the 18-Mile Stretch of US 1 and Card Sound Road were closed in both directions as firefighters battled the flames in southern Miami-Dade County. Fortunately, the closure only lasted about an hour, and the roads were reopened by 4:30 p.m. ET. However, officials warned that more disruptions could happen as fire crews work to contain the blaze.
This wasn’t the first time the wildfire forced a shutdown. On Tuesday, thick smoke and fast-moving flames made driving conditions too dangerous, closing the highway for several hours before it reopened around 8:30 p.m. But by 4 p.m. Wednesday, the fire flared up again, leading to another closure.
So far, the fire has burned around 4,000 acres, and firefighters have only managed to contain about 20% of it, according to the Florida Forestry Service. With conditions still unpredictable, travelers should be prepared for possible delays.
