FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Firefighting teams continue working to control two major wildfires that have consumed thousands of acres across South Florida’s Everglades region, with both blazes expanding Monday despite ongoing containment efforts.
According to a Facebook update from the Florida Forest Service, the expanding fires are creating heavy smoke and limiting visibility across the area, though containment efforts are being ramped up. Authorities report no significant injuries or structural damage at this time.
The more extensive fire has now consumed approximately 5,600 acres in wilderness areas located southwest of Fort Lauderdale, with firefighters achieving 30% containment, according to state officials. National Guard personnel are providing support to state and local firefighting teams.
Emergency response teams are simultaneously working to suppress a separate 300-acre fire burning near Homestead in southern Miami-Dade County, which has also reached 30% containment, authorities reported.
Arid weather conditions have contributed to wildfire activity across multiple regions nationwide. Similar blazes destroyed numerous residences in southern Georgia during the previous month.
