A wildfire burning on the west side of Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida covered more than 6,000 acres Tuesday and forced additional closures in the park.
Smoke from the fire was initially spotted Saturday evening, when the blaze was estimated to cover about 60 acres. Located north of the Burns Lake Campground, the fire continued to spread, reaching more than 3,000 acres on Sunday, and 6,020 on Monday afternoon.
Nicknamed the "Parliament Fire," the blaze is burning in a mixture of grass, pine, and cypress habitat. The Southwest Florida and Caribbean Fire and Aviation Management Program, a cooperative program between Big Cypress National Preserve and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4, District 6, had sent aviation and ground resources to the fire line. Due to the remote location and limited access, a Type 3 incident command organization was being mobilized to manage the fire.
“Current containment strategies, including natural and human-made barriers, as well as trail and area closures, have been implemented to protect firefighters and the public,” said Big Cypress Superintendent Tamara Whittington.
Visitors and commuters should expect smoke along U.S. Highway 41, Burns Lake Road, and Monument Lake Campground due to extensive smoke from the fire. The Florida Department of Transportation has issued a road closure for U.S. 41 from State Road 29 to Chrome Avenue beginning at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday as conditions permit.
Closures related to the fire include:
- Burns Lake Campground, day use area, and Burns Lake Road
- Lands to the east of Turner River Road, south of Concho Billie Trail, west of Monument Lake Trail, extending north of Tamiami Trail, U.S. Highway 41
- Skillet Strand Trail and parking area
- Windmill Tram Trail
- Burns Lake Trail north to Concho Billie Trail, and Burns Lake Trail South to Tamaimi Trail, U.S. 41
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