Broward brush fire sparked by lightning; grows to more than 5,000 acres

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — A brush fire burning in the Everglades near the Sawgrass Expressway in Broward County has grown to more than 5,000 acres, but firefighters have now contained half of the blaze, according to the Florida Forest Service.

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The Atlantic Fire, which began Sunday as a fire covering just a few hundred acres, rapidly expanded across the Everglades west of the Sawgrass Expressway near Atlantic Boulevard.

While the fire showed little visible activity Tuesday, officials stressed that it remains an active wildfire.

Aerial images from Sky 10 showed a large swath of charred landscape where the fire has burned through the Everglades.

The Florida Forest Service described current conditions as “low fire activity,” but warned that the blaze could become more active as temperatures rise throughout the day.

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Firefighters remained at the scene Tuesday, closely monitoring the fire’s behavior as heat and drier conditions could cause flames to intensify and produce large plumes of smoke.

One of the biggest concerns earlier in the firefighting effort was the fire’s proximity to the Sawgrass Expressway. Crews conducted strategic prescribed burns, also known as back burns, to remove vegetation that could have fueled the fire’s spread toward the highway. Those efforts helped protect the roadway from the advancing flames.

Officials said moisture in the soil has helped limit fire activity, but that moisture is expected to evaporate as the day warms, increasing the potential for the fire to flare up again.

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The Florida Forest Service said the Atlantic Fire is now 50% contained.

Investigators have also determined the fire was sparked by lightning.