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On Monday, Aug. 18, a fire ignited in the Florida Everglades—a blaze that locals are now referring to as the Mile Marker 39 fire.
By Tuesday afternoon, it had already scorched 1,600 acres—and it wasn’t the only fire. A second brush fire, the Sawgrass fire, burned another 250 acres, according to the Florida Forest Service. It remains unclear what caused either of the fires.
As of this reporting, both fires remain 0% contained, leaving homeowners in the area on edge. Beyond the threat of spreading flames, residents are grappling with poor visibility and heightened respiratory risks, especially for seniors and those with preexisting conditions.
Local impacts
The local impact of these two uncontaminated fires across Broward County and northwest of Ft. Lauderdale is alarming, though at this time, no structures are in danger, and there isn’t an active threat to the public.
However, the National Weather Service warned Broward drivers that their visibility may be reduced to 3 miles or less where the smoke is densest.
Drivers were also encouraged to utilize the recirculate setting on their air conditioner as the air quality is “unhealthy,” according to the Natural Resource Division in Broward. On X, the National Weather Service recommended that those with allergies or sensitivities to pollution limit the time they spend outside.
According to an NBC Miami article, Daniela Eusse was on a bike ride this morning and had trouble seeing and breathing.
“It was definitely hard to ride today,” she said. “It was very hard to breathe this morning, like I had to come off the ride. My heart was through the roof. It looked like fog, but you could smell it. It’s not fog, it’s fire.”
The blazes come as Southeast Florida was under heat advisories. The National Weather Service issued a high-heat advisory from Homestead to West Palm Beach and warned of heat index levels up to 110 degrees.
While all this is happening, Hurricane Erin is making trouble for Florida as well. As the storm continues to track north, swells will be able to go around the Bahamas and push south along the Florida coastline. A high risk of rip currents remains in effect for the beaches along the Atlantic coast.
Brush fires aren’t shocking for this area so preparation is key
Unfortunately, brush fires are the becoming norm in the Florida Everglades.
“It’s pretty common this time of year down here in South Florida. From now through early May is typically our fire season down here, so it’s not too uncommon,” said NWS lead forecaster Chris Fisher in a Newsweek article.
In March 2025, the 344 fire occurred in roughly the same area as these two fires. Though it wasn’t as extreme, it still burned at least 400 acres and was 85% contained, according to the Florida Forest Service.
Since fires in the Florida Everglades are almost expected, homeowners should be proactive and ensure their homes are fire-resistant. If you live in Florida, the Florida Department of Health recommends that you create evacuation routes and prepare an emergency kit with things like food, water, and first-aid supplies.
Once a fire actually strikes, be sure to pay attention to the news and follow orders from local officials—doing both will help keep you and your loved ones safe.