Progress being made fighting Broward and Miami-Dade wildfires

Firefighters from multiple departments continued battling wildfires burning large swaths of Miami-Dade and Broward counties Tuesday, with officials warning that although rain that could help put down flames could also make smokey conditions worse.

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The larger fire, which officials are calling the Max Road Fire and is on U.S. 27 in the Everglades, grew to 11,090 acres on Monday. The Florida Forest Service says firefighters have it 60% contained as of Tuesday morning.

The other fire, in Florida City in southwest Miami-Dade County, reached 300 acres and was 50% contained, according to the Forest Service’s interactive map.

Firefighters with Miami-Dade, Broward and Pembroke Pines fire rescue departments, as well as members of the Forest Service are attacking the fire from the ground and air.

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The National Weather Service forecasted for Tuesday afternoon into the night a high chance of rain and thunderstorms that might help douse the flames. But, Erika Benitez, a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokeswoman, warned that the precipitation could also exacerbate the thick smoke affecting areas near the fires.

“While the rainfall may assist in firefighting efforts, it may also cause smoke and haze to settle closer to the ground, potentially impacting some of the nearby communities,” Benitez said in a video statement released by the department on Tuesday.

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This story will be updated as more information becomes available.