Brush fire, smoky conditions shut down road leading in and out of Florida Keys

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Traffic was flowing in and out of the Florida Keys on Wednesday after a brush fire led officials to briefly close U.S. 1, snarling traffic for hours for those trying to enter or leave island chain.

Card Sound Road, the only other road connecting the Keys to Florida City on the mainland, remained closed because of the fire, said Kristen Livengood, a spokeswoman for Monroe County.

“I do not have an estimated time frame for when it will reopen,” Livengood said in an email.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said motorists could expect lengthy delays along an 18-mile (29 kilometer) stretch of U.S. 1 “as fire crews intermittently block traffic for fire mitigation/air water drops.”

Florida City is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Miami. The fire broke out Tuesday afternoon on the mainland side of Card Sound Road. The smoky conditions caused authorities to briefly close U.S. 1, which reopened later Tuesday night.

The area where the fire broke out is largely rural.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the Florida Forest Service were working to contain the fire. They advised anyone with respiratory conditions to remain indoors.

It is not rare for brush fires to break out in South Florida during what is known as dry season. It has also been windy in the region this week. Rainy season begins in mid-May.