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New Atlantic fire burns in Everglades off Sawgrass Expressway in Broward County

Local agencies are monitoring the Atlantic brush fire in the Everglades that began Sunday, June 28.
Local agencies are monitoring the Atlantic brush fire in the Everglades that began Sunday, June 28. Courtesy of Van Schoen with the City of Tamarac

A new Everglades wildfire is giving Broward commuters an up-close look as the latest blaze burns just east of the Sawgrass Expressway.

The Atlantic fire, which started near Tamarac by Commercial Boulevard over the weekend, has burned roughly 2,240 acres and was 0% contained as of 11:40 a.m. on Monday, June 29, according to the Florida Forest Service.

It’s a major jump from the 180-acre area it covered the night before.

Traffic cameras show multiple angles of the Atlantic fire, which currently doesn’t pose a threat to residential areas east of the flames, officials say. Those with health conditions are encouraged to monitor the situation.
Traffic cameras show multiple angles of the Atlantic fire, which currently doesn’t pose a threat to residential areas east of the flames, officials say. Those with health conditions are encouraged to monitor the situation. Florida 511

Those traveling in Coral Springs and Sunrise may also see the blaze on the other side of the canal and berm separating the Sawgrass Expressway from the Everglades.

Wind may blow smoke east toward the metropolitan area, but as of midday Monday, there were no threats to households in Tamarac or neighboring communities, said Van Schoen, the Emergency Management Coordinator for Tamarac.

The Florida Forest Service is handling the fire, although Tamarac Fire Rescue is monitoring the situation and flew a drone out there Monday morning, Schoen told the Coral Springs News.

The Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department isn’t working the blaze, the agency said.

The timing of the fire coincides with the annual Saharan dust arriving in South Florida from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. While Broward County’s Natural Resource Division said on June 29 that air quality is good, the forecast until Tuesday is moderate due to the Saharan dust, which typically suppresses rain.

The state forest service is also monitoring three other wildfires that have been burning in Miami-Dade County. All are at least 90% contained.

Those with respiratory sensitivities are advised to monitor the air quality and make appropriate choices.

OL
Olivia Lloyd
Coral Springs News
Olivia Lloyd is an Associate Editor/Reporter for the Coral Springs News, the Pembroke Pines News and the Miramar News. She graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Previously, she has worked for Hearst DevHub, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and McClatchy’s Real Time Team.