Parts of Florida’s Turnpike closed on Friday because of wildfires in Miami-Dade County.
“Florida’s Turnpike southbound lanes are closed from Okeechobee Road (U.S. 27) to Northwest 41st Street to support ongoing firefighting operations and ensure public safety. Northbound lanes remain open,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue stated.
Florida’s Turnpike southbound lanes are closed from Okeechobee Road (U.S. 27) to Northwest 41st Street to support ongoing firefighting operations and ensure public safety. Northbound lanes remain open.
For traffic conditions and roadway closure updates, visit… pic.twitter.com/oAVmvbdSok
— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) June 19, 2026
In total, approximately 20,000 acres have burned.
As of Thursday, four total wildfires have burned more than 20,000 acres of land, which is bigger than the city of Hialeah. https://t.co/B7pGCF5DKx
— CBS Miami (@CBSMiami) June 19, 2026
NBC 6 South Florida shared further:
Firefighters have worked for almost a week in uncomfortable heat to increase containment and keep flames from two fires away from people and businesses. On Wednesday, around 200 residents were evacuated and on Thursday, one firefighter was injured while battling the Quarry 2 fire and hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.
Now, a third blaze is also burning. But the rain that could make the difference in the firefight may not be far off.
The Quarry 2 fire had reached around 17,600 acres by Friday and was about 80% contained, according to the Florida Forest Service.
The Florida Forest Service said it responded to the blaze on Sunday, after it originated from a thunderstorm and lightning strike.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said its crews started battling it in the area of Northwest 137th Avenue and Northwest 25th Street on Monday.
A second fire, the Well Fire, was discovered on Thursday and has burned 1,425 acres and was 60% contained as of Friday morning.
A third fire, the Coptic Fire, was discovered on Wednesday west of State Road 997 (Krome Avenue) near the Hammocks in Southwest Miami-Dade. It has burned 2,935 acres, is 40% contained and is being handled by the U.S. Forest Service since it’s burning on federal land.
“3 Wildfires are continuing to burn this afternoon across western Miami-Dade County with smoke visible on traffic cameras & radar. SE winds have kept the smoke away from the metro today, however winds may veer more southerly overnight bringing smoke back closer to the metro,” the National Weather Service Miami stated.
3 Wildfires are continuing to burn this afternoon across western Miami-Dade County with smoke visible on traffic cameras & radar.
SE winds have kept the smoke away from the metro today, however winds may veer more southerly overnight bringing smoke back closer to the metro. pic.twitter.com/rWG4Yo3jro
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) June 18, 2026
Footage below:
New scenes from the chopper this afternoon of the wildfires burning in Northwest Miami-Dade County. The fires are burning hot enough to see a brief fire tornado from time to time. The thick smoke plume is fanning out over 15 miles wide across Broward County. #Florida pic.twitter.com/HGz7dwE3Hf
— Brandon Orr (@BrandonOrrWPLG) June 17, 2026
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue continues to battle a brush fire near Northwest 137th Ave and Northwest 41st St🔥😳| #ONLYinDADE pic.twitter.com/pjGePyO9Nf
— ONLY in DADE (@ONLYinDADE) June 16, 2026
CBS News has more:
All combined, the wildfires have burned an area roughly the size of Coral Gables.
As crews continue to gain ground on containing the wildfires, roads in the area remain closed – including Krome Avenue in west Miami-Dade in the area of Southwest 8th Street.
As the Quarry 2 and Well fires were raging across the South Florida landscape, local officials were urging residents in the area to grab what they could and get out of the area.
“We all had to leave from the trailers,” a resident named Roxana said. “Basically, they said that they were starting another fire to control the other one. So, everyone had to leave. They’re making everyone leave.”
Marshall Jones, who owns Mack’s Fish Camp and Jones Trailer Park, described the scene as the blaze neared the conservation area.
“The smoke density here was chokeable. The visibility was down to maybe 100 feet, and the ability to breathe normally was very impeded by how heavy the smoke was,” Jones said.
Jones remained on-site to assist fire rescue crews in positioning equipment. “It was just a very rapid-paced, hairy scenario. Everybody was on edge because the fire was about to jump Krome Avenue into the conservation area,” he said. “When that happened, the fuel on this side of the levee is even more than on the other side, so we were bracing for the worst-case scenario.”
The Quarry and Well wildfires created challenges for firefighters and health concerns for residents as the smoke and ash drifted across South Florida.
