The Associated Press
 AP Photo/Joe Kaleita A firefighter works on hotspots in a wooded area of Grant, Fla., Tuesday. |
MIAMI — A large fire in the Everglades and other smaller fires in various parts of Florida brought smoky conditions across the state on Sunday, even as increased humidity in some areas was helping firefighting efforts.
The Florida Division of Forestry, which handles fires on state property, says it was fighting 90 fires around the state. Those total about 39,500 acres, up about 500 acres from Saturday. The majority of fires are in Glades County around Lake Okeechobee and on the coast in Brevard County.
South Florida residents were warned to stay indoors and a state prison and federal detention center were evacuated Monday as smoke from a massive wildfire in Everglades National Park billowed their way.
No structures were in danger, though officials said the fire was burning in the only known habitat for the endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow.
The 56-square-mile blaze was about 30 percent contained. The smoke was blowing to the northeast, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Nina Barrow. Smoke and fog advisories were issued for Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Glades counties.
Meanwhile, in the area around Lake Okeechobee, the Florida Highway Patrol was using electronic highway signs to warn people about lingering smoke, and areas along Florida’s Treasure Coast were continuing to experience haze from the fires, said Division of Forestry spokeswoman Melissa Yunas.
In Brevard County, where a number of homes burned earlier in the week, fires were 75% contained on Sunday, up about 5% from the previous day, said State Division of Forestry spokesman Todd Schroeder.
In addition, firefighters were actively fighting one approximately 600 acre fire in a swampy area of Cocoa, but it was not threatening any structures and was between 50 and 60% contained, Schroeder said.