Crews in Florida battle a 25,000-acre wildfire near detention center

1 week ago 2

By FREIDA FRISARO, Associated Press

Crews in South Florida were trying to contain a wildfire in Big Cypress National Preserve that had burned more than 25,000 acres near an immigration detention facility as of Wednesday.

The fire caused periodic lane closures due to smoke and poor visibility on the stretch of Interstate 75 known as Alligator Alley, which connects Florida’s east and west coasts and runs through the vast Everglades wetlands. Wildfires are common the dry winter season.

However, the wildfire posed no threat Wednesday to the state-run immigration jail, said Stephanie Hartman, director of communications for the Florida Department of Emergency Management.