| *Due to an email disruption at the TDC this email was unable to go out earlier but systems are back up and running.
The Visit Florida Keys/TDC team is coordinating with local agency public information officers and other officials to help provide updates as they are available on the intermittent closures of the 18-Mile Stretch on U.S. 1, the main road leading in and out of The Florida Keys. Delays and road closures are expected to continue due to a large wildfire in south Miami-Dade County. The alternate route of Card Sound Road remains closed in both directions. The lead agencies for this incident are Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the Florida Forest Service. It is being referred to officially as the 344 Fire. Travelers need to be prepared for possible lengthy delays in both directions of the 18-Mile Stretch of U.S. 1 over the next few days. The forest service has urged people to avoid the area if at all possible. A link to information is available in an alert banner on the home page at Fla-Keys.com. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the region due to low humidity and strong winds. The fire ranges across 25,000 acres of south Miami-Dade County, according to the Florida Forest Service, and 30 percent of the fire is contained. Officials have ordered additional water tankers to be on scene on Friday. For drivers stuck in traffic and needing a courtesy stop, the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce at 106000 Overseas Hwy. has portable restrooms available in their front parking lot through this weekend. During the extended roadway closure on Thursday, Visit Florida Keys (TDC) worked to connect the Key Largo Chamber with news on available hotel rooms in Islamorada and Marathon due to sellout conditions in Key Largo. Updates have been posted to VFK’s social media channels since the beginning of the incident. Follow @FloridaKeysandKeyWest on Facebook and @thefloridakeys on X. |