Three wildfires burning near the Everglades in west Miami-Dade spread enough on Wednesday to shut down major roads and push smoke into Broward County, turning a fast-moving fire response into a regional traffic problem. The largest of the fires, the Quarry 2 Fire, had burned more than 15,900 acres by Wednesday and was about 50% contained.

That containment number means crews had some perimeter lines around part of the fire, but not enough to stop it everywhere. The Well Fire had also grown, reaching about 500 acres and 25% contained by Wednesday, while a third blaze, the Coptic Fire, was reported at about 6:27 p.m. and was burning 50 acres south of the first two fires.

Drivers were feeling the impact well beyond the fire line. Florida Department of Transportation closed all northbound lanes and southbound lanes of Krome Avenue between Tamiami Trail and Okeechobee Road because heavy smoke cut visibility, and Pembroke Pines Police said US Highway 27 was closed southbound at Pines Blvd. The wildfires were burning west of Doral and Sweetwater in Miami-Dade, but the smoke was reaching as far as Broward County.

Fire officials said lightning struck near Metro West Detention Center on Sunday and started the wildfire that then spread quickly, giving the fires a head start before crews could fully box them in. Ray Jadallah said the Quarry 2 Fire and the Well Fire were two names for the same fire complex, not separate events, underscoring how quickly the blaze had expanded across the area.

The smoke was hanging low because the air was not moving much. CBS News Miami NEXT Weather meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez said the winds were calm and the smoke was still and stagnant across many of the areas that had already been dealing with ash and haze. Lisa Mundee, watching ash fall, put it simply: “It looks like it's snowing, but it's not really snowing; it's from the fire.”

That is why the closures matter now. With the fires still active, the smoke lingering and the wind not helping, road restrictions can stay in place longer than drivers want and the health impact can stretch farther than the flames themselves. FDOT urged motorists to plan ahead, check fuel levels and be ready for changing speed limits and travel conditions as west Miami-Dade County wildfires continue to burn near the Everglades.