Florida firefighters continued to battle a massive brush fire in Broward County that had grown to over 5,500 acres Friday.
The fire, which ignited Wednesday near U.S. 27 on the western edge of Pembroke Pines, was about 60 percent contained, according to Florida Forest Service spokesman Scott Peterich.
Peterich noted that gusty winds and relatively low humidity added to the challenges of containing the blaze.
The fire threatened Everglades Holiday Park, forcing it to close to the public on Thursday. Mack's Fish Camp in Northwest Miami-Dade was evacuated Friday and 20 structures at the fish camp are threatened by the fire, Peterich said.
Winds pushed the plume of smoke south over wide sections of Miami-Dade County. Fire officials responded to Bel-Aire Elementary School in Cutler Bay, about 20 miles south of Miami Beach, after reports that several students started choking and coughing during a Physical Education class. Gym classes were canceled for the day, and students were kept inside.
The National Weather Service issued a Dense smoke advisory for Broward and Miami-Dade until 8 a.m. Saturday.
"Residents with any respiratory problems may want to be extra careful in the evening hours," Peterich said.
Another brush was also reported in Miami-Dade, in the area of the 18500 block of Krome Avenue. The size of that fire was unknown.
Meanwhile, another brush fire erupted in Orlando Friday morning and spread to nearby vegetation, coming close to burning an apartment complex in International Drive.
