A massive wildfire in the Florida Everglades continues to explode in size, to the point that it is now visible from space, leading to air quality concerns as South Floridians begin to feel its effects. The blaze has burned through 25,000 acres of dry brush south of Alligator Alley, near State Roa d 29 in Collier County, as of Wednesday afternoon. Chase Allbritton, who describes himself as a hurricane chaser, flew his drone near the blaze and recorded a majestic bird’s-eye view. “It wasn’t just dry, it was also fairly windy, which is what allowed for the fire to spread,” he said. The fire comes as drought conditions continue to worsen across the state. The dry ground is making life difficult as it is in the Everglades, where some airboat channels have run dry. “The landscape is already dry, beginning to crack, and the wildlife has migrated to the last remaining ponding areas,” said Marshall Jones, the owner of Mack’s Fish Camp. The lack of moisture, coupled with wind, has proven to be dangerous. “I noticed that some of the actual large trees, like the cypress trees, the flame will grow up, and then as it grows, the wind will be able to carry those embers to a pretty great distance, and it can start little other fires around it,” said Allbritton. Forecasters said the large fire could reduce visibility along Alligator Alley and the Tamiami Trail. Some of that smoke has already begun moving into Miami-Dade County, as well as the Middle to Upper Florida Keys. Officials urge drivers in those areas to exercise caution, reduce their speed and use low beam headlights. While the region remains under an alert for dense smoke, there are concerns over air quality. “If you’re smelling anything, especially if you are sensitive to it, if you have asthma, lung problems, [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease], then the first thing is just to get out of the environment,” said Dr. Adam Rubin, an emergency medicine specialist for Memorial Healthcare System. Nevertheless, meteorologists said, winds to the south and southeast is ecpected to keep smoke away from populated areas in South Florida through Friday. Officials said this wildfire was caused by people, so they advise residents who live in the dry areas to exercise caution, because even something as small as a cigarette can spark a fire this big. ...read more read less