Florida fire near 'Alligator Alcatraz' grows to nearly 25,000 acres
USA TODAY
The fire remained 0% contained on Feb. 25 and was discovered late on Sunday, Feb. 22., in Big Cypress National Preserve south of Interstate 75.
Fire crews are battling a wildfire in South Florida that has grown to nearly 25,000 acres on Wednesday, Feb. 25, as the blaze burned near the state's mass detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" and caused hazy conditions for surrounding areas.
The fire, which remais 0% contained as of Feb. 25, was discovered on Feb. 22 on federal lands south of Interstate 75, about 20 miles east of Naples, Florida, according to the Big Cypress National Preserve. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified the blaze as human-caused.
Firefighters were trying to contain the blaze, which has been named the National Fire, as heavy smoke created dangerous driving conditions along Alligator Alley — an 80-mile stretch of Interstate 75 from Naples, Florida, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The National Weather Service in Miami warned motorists that the smoke was reducing visibility to near zero and that southerly winds continued to push smoke across the highway.
Local authorities said wind shifts may increase smoke in other nearby areas, including State Road 29 and the Tamiami Trail. In an update on Feb. 25, the Big Cypress National Preserve noted that smoke impacts may increase in these areas and surrounding communities overnight and early morning hours.
"Reduced visibility and temporary or intermittent road closures remain possible," according to the Big Cypress National Preserve. The fire could also send smoke north into Naples, Glades, and Hendry counties in the coming days.
American Journey: No one has set foot on the moon since America left in 1972. NASA is heading there again, but hasn't explained why the trip matters.
An arrest warrant said the woman caused the death of a “human being who was born alive and survived for one hour.\
Police said in an update that a person of interest was being questioned in the fatal shooting.
The behemoth exotic fish known as Asian carp have marched toward the Great Lakes for more than 25 years. See their impact on nearby water systems.
The DOJ moved to drop charges against two former Louisville officers involved in the Breonna Taylor raid warrant.
The fish, weighing up to 100 pounds and eating 10% of their weight in algae every day, could pose an existential threat to the Great Lakes.
The murder that Christa Pike was convicted of demonstrated a brutality and callousness not often seen in women, let alone one so young.
Video captured a people pestering a food delivery robot that was attempting to cross the street.
Scientists discovered a series of skeletons sitting upright at an excavation site in France in January 2025.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife is asking people to report sightings, but to stay away to avoid any attacks or incidents involving the animal.
Here's why oil and water disruptions in the Middle East affect energy, fertilizer and food prices here at home.
Former Detroit Police Sgt. Benjamin Wagner faces 14 criminal charges, including criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping, prosecutors said.
