Florida wildfire briefly forces closure of 18-Mile Stretch for second straight day, severing tie to Keys

MIAMI — A stubborn wildfire once again shut down Florida’s 18-Mile Stretch highway that is the primary link to the Florida Keys, severing a crucial travel artery Wednesday afternoon. Only this time the closure was relatively brief.Both the 18-Mile Stretch along US 1 and Card Sound Road were blocked in both directions for just under an hour Wednesday afternoon as fire crews worked to mitigate a brush fire burning in southern Miami-Dade County area, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.Deputies said the roads reopened around 4:30 p.m. ET but that drivers should “expect continued disruptions in and out of the Florida Keys as the weather/fire mitigation efforts continue to impact traffic.”The highway was shut down for hours Tuesday afternoon and evening as smoke and nearly flames dropped visibilities to dangerously low levels. The road was eventually reopened around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday before shutting down again around 4 p.m. Wednesday.The blaze has burned about 4,000 acres and is just 20% contained, according to the Florida Forestry Service.