A brush fire that threatened about a dozen homes in south Miami-Dade County is now under control.
The fire burned Sunday near Southwest 224th Street from 117th Avenue to 115th Avenue, requiring 20 crews from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to tame it.
“We’ve been able to contain the fire to just the area that it’s burning and protect all the residents in the area,” firefighter Michelle Fayed said.
Firefighters said their biggest obstacle was the dry, erratic wind that fanned the flames.
“The winds are whipping on a very beautiful South Florida day, but the winds are contributing to the fire’s progression in all different directions,” Fayed said.
The conditions forced firefighters to use different types of equipment to dump water on the fire from all angles. They teamed with the Florida Forestry Service to control the blaze.
“Twenty crews are around the perimeter of the fire and we have Florida Forestry in the center of the fire setting back fires to impede on the fire’s progression,” Fayed said.
Saturday, Miami-Dade fire crews were just three blocks away battling a larger grass fire. Firefighters said the conditions this time of year create a breeding ground for these types of fires.
“It’s been an exceptionally dry season here,” Fayed said.
Warnings went out for neighbors nearby. The fire burned so close to the homes, residents not only saw it, they felt it.
“I felt the heat from the fire right there and suppose it would’ve been closer. It probably would’ve got a hold of the house,” Smith said.
Smith’s home and at least a dozen others were dangerously close to the brush fire, so close that fire crews put residents on notice about the possibility of forced evacuations.
“I was hoping they would contain it so we wouldn’t have to evacuate,” said resident Sherelle Golden.
No one was hurt in the fire, but a dog had to be rescued. The canine that had been left chained in the path of the fire is now in the care of animal services.
Residents are now able to breathe a sigh of relief, while still keeping a watchful eye on the smoldering hot spots.
“I thought they (were) going to handle it. They had it together,” Golden said.