On April 28, at 12:30 p.m., Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) responded to a report of a brush fire located in the area of NW 137 Avenue and 17 Street.

Winds were blowing at about 16 mph from the southeast causing the fire to spread to the northwest. Several minutes into combating the blaze, a second alarm was declared. This strategy doubled the amount of responding units initially dispatched.

No homes were threatened and the nearby jail, Metro West, was not in jeopardy at the time. Firefighters continued to battle the flames in an effort to keep the fire from spreading. MDFR soon joined forces with the Florida Division of Forestry.

At approximately 5:00 p.m., the winds changed in direction and began to blow toward the northeast causing the fire to grow in the same direction. The change of the fire’s course now threatened the Metro West Detention Center. This new danger tasked the Miami-Dade Corrections Department with evacuating more than 2,000 inmates from the facility. At 6:00 p.m., a fifth alarm was declared. By this time, Air Rescues North and South had performed several water drops over the main portion of the fire. Both helicopters were instrumental in keeping the fire from growing and keeping it in check.

Fortunately, as night fell, the winds died down significantly. By 8:00 p.m., the fire was declared under control. Though some fire crews remained on scene to keep watch for any flare-ups, most units were released by 10 p.m..

More than 120 firefighters aggressively fought this blaze and prevented it from reaching the detention center in the fire’s path. No injuries were reported.