Local News

The Mustang Corner fire continues to burn, now scorching almost 40,000 acres of the Everglades. It is still only about 30 percent contained and is causing moderate to unhealthy air conditions across South Florida.

The fire continues to burn eastward toward civilization, which prompted the evacuation of about 2,000 people from the Everglades Correctional Institution and the Krome Detention Center on Monday.

Officials hoped the rise in humidity Tuesday will slow its spread. Fire Rescue helicopters have been dropping firefighters into the fire zone to help fight the flames and contain them. Outside the Krome Detention Center and another nearby state prison facility, firefighters have been cutting down Melaleuca trees, which act as fuel for the wildfires, all as a precautionary measure.

The state prison (Everglades Correctional Institution), located at 1601 SW 187th Avenue, has been shut down and prisoners have been moved to facilities around the state.

The Florida Department of Corrections was notified Monday afternoon that the "Mustang Corner" wildfire burning south of the prison could not be contained and would be a threat to the Everglades Correctional Institution. Secretary Walter McNeil ordered the evacuation of more than 17-hundred inmates, according to Jo Ellyn Rackleff of the Fl. Department of Corrections.

The inmates have been in transit and unable to contact anyone for 48 hours. Inmates with special needs will be placed at facilities that will meet their needs. Prison officials will not be able to tell family members where individual inmates are being taken but a list of all of the correctional facilities housing displaced inmates will be made available on the website www.dc.state.fl.us.

Detainees at the nearby Krome Detention Center, located 18201 SW 12th Street, were also evacuated. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say the evacuation was a precautionary response to the fires burning in the Everglades. "While there is no immediate threat to the detection center, ICE officials have, in an abundance of caution, determined this to be the most prudent course of action. The safety and security of those housed in ICE facilities remains among the agency's top priority," said ICE Spokesperson Barbara Gonzalez in a news release.

There are 535 detainees housed at Krome. All detainees were transferred to various ICE facilities throughout the state and country, if needed. In addition, ICE had medical officials on hand for all detainees who require specialized care. Once they have been relocated their attorneys and family members will be contacted with their locations.

South Florida residents have been warned to stay indoors as smoke from that massive wildfire in Everglades National Park billows their way. On Monday and Tuesday, Broward County was forced to move all after school activities from outside to facilities inside.

No structures are in danger, though officials say the fire is burning in the only known habitat for the endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow.

Click here for more on the fire fight and health advisories.