Wildfire smoke drifting east from the Everglades caused “unhealthy” air quality and low visibility across Broward County Wednesday morning, officials say, and air quality alerts will be in effect through Thursday morning.
The smoke is caused by two wildfires, which were listed as 0% contained late Wednesday.
After coordination with @BrowardEnv, an *Air Quality Alert* has been issued for Broward County from 10pm tonight through 9am Thursday morning.
Smoke from the Mile Marker 39 fire is forecast to drift eastward into metro areas overnight as winds lessen. pic.twitter.com/sAJedWHWyC
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) August 20, 2025
The biggest fire is located near Mile Marker 39 on the Sawgrass Expressway in western Broward. Within a matter of hours, it had spread from 1,600 acres Wednesday morning to 19,200 acres late in the afternoon, according to the Florida Forest Service. A second fire, called the Sawgrass Fire, is farther west and remained at 250 acres throughout the day.
The smoke from both fires is drifting into metro areas of the county, according to the National Weather Service Miami. An air quality alert was issued for Broward County from 10 p.m. Wednesday through 9 a.m. Thursday.
“Smoke from the Mile Marker 39 fire is forecast to drift eastward into metro areas overnight as winds lessen,” NWS Miami warned on X.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow website rated the air quality at the reporting station in Hollywood as “unhealthy” with an Air Quality Index of 154 as of Wednesday morning, which means everyone is at risk for health effects.
People who are sensitive to smoke, such as those with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens should consider limiting their time outdoors, health officials say, particularly during strenuous activities.
Everyone else should also take steps to reduce physical activity outside, such as walking instead of running.
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