Florida wildfire covering 6,000 acres forces evacuations and closes Alligator Alley

https://news.yahoo.com/florida-wildfire-covering-6-000-200529655.html

Oliver O'Connell
,The Independent•May 14, 2020


Wildfires fuelled by strong winds and dry weather are sweeping across Florida forcing evacuations in the Naples area.

NBC 2 reports that several brush fires began burning in Golden Gate Estates in Collier County on Wednesday.

They eventually combined to form one large fire spanning as much as 6,000 acres on Thursday. The fire is five to ten per cent contained.

Parts of Interstate 75, known as Alligator Alley, have been closed as a precaution, with visibility changing unpredictably due to smoke and shifting winds.

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More than a dozen wildfires raged across Florida this week thanks to hotter and drier than average weather in April.

The Florida Panhandle was hit hard last week when wildfires led to evacuations and road closures near Pensacola.

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tags: severe weather, extreme weather