Editor's note: The Florida Highway Patrol shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday night was in the process of closing Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley) from Exit 80 (State Road 29) in Collier County to Exit 23 (US 27) in Broward County due to poor visibility (smoke). Troopers were monitoring conditions overnight; updates will be provided as needed. Alternate routes of State Road 29, US 27, US 41 remain open.

The 24,014-acre wildfire in Big Cypress National Preserve is fueling a dangerous outlook for drivers during the days ahead.

The biggest threat to drivers on Alligator Alley is the wildfire smoke.

The National Weather Service in Miami warns that tonight, smoke will settle to the ground, mixing with fog, making it very difficult to see other vehicles in the pitch-black Everglades.

Then tomorrow, the winds pick back up out of the south. That will act like a conveyor belt, blowing thick smoke directly across the interstate and blinding drivers again.

"We are expecting some potential smoke impacts along the roadways there," said Riki Hoopes, a spokeswoman for the combined forces that have joined the National Park Service in fighting the wildfire. "We urge drivers to please use caution when in the area and acknowledge that it may be slow, there may be periodic stops."

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the National Fire has 72 firefighters working the blaze, 13 fire engines, four helicopters, three fixed-wing aircraft, and three water tankers. The cost of fighting the fire so far is at $200,000.

The threat to motorists is so great that a public safety advisory has been issued to warn the thousands of motorists traveling through the area to be extremely careful, drive slowly, use the low beams as the high beams reflect a lot of light back from the smoke, watch for fire trucks and other equipment on the road, as well as individual firefighters.

If the smoke gets too thick, agencies like the Florida Highway Patrol may close roads until visibility improves.

The massive blaze is feeding on heavy brush turned to kindling by past hurricanes and a string of brutal freezes this winter that killed off vegetation across the Everglades."

That larger National Fire is just south of Alligator Alley in the Big Cypress National Preserve near Ochopee as firefighters attacked the blaze on the ground and from the air.

Hoopes said a significant portion of the acreage that increased the size of the wildfire is from land scorched in the perimeter operation earlier in the firefighting effort along Turner Road, S.R. 29, and Interstate 75, also known as Alligator Alley.

“Most of the acreage gained was from defensive burns overnight to keep the fire from hitting the road hard,” she said. “This will help eliminate the fuel along the road, so when the fire hits, it will give it a buffer.”

Hoopes said no structures have been damaged and no firefighters have been hurt.

For context, this National Fire has already surpassed the Sandy Fire that burned through the same area three years ago. That blaze blackened nearly 20,000 acres, shutting down U.S. 41 and blanketing the region in smoke.

Even though the Sandy Fire burned the same area, it left behind plenty of fuel.

"It’s an exceptionally dry year," Hoopes said. "We haven’t had any precipitation in months, so it’s not unusual to see fires spread in a couple year’s growth like that,"

A second brush fire, just to the north of Alligator Alley, was kept to under 5 acres Monday night.

A Red Flag Warning was issued for the Everglades earlier Monday as cold, dry air swept south down the Florida Peninsula over Sunday night into Monday morning.

Early last weekend, wildland firefighting agencies sounded alarms about the wildfire potential for Monday. Hoopes said the flames were first seen Sunday night coming from the National Fire, the bigger of the two then and now.

Forest firefighters have been dreading Florida’s spring wildfire season for months as a drought has blanketed much of South and western Florida for a year.

Hoopes said no homes or residents were in danger Monday night, but some of the back roads within the Big Cypress were closed so firefighters on the ground could work.

Due to the location of the fire, the active fire behavior and weather conditions, fire managers implemented an area closure for all areas south of I-75, east of S.R. 29, north of Hwy. 41, and west of Concho Billie Trail and Skillet North.

Florida Highway Patrol State Troopers continue to monitor ongoing wildfire conditions along Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley between mile markers 65–85) in Collier County.

All lanes remain open at this time; however, wildfire activity and smoke may significantly reduce visibility on the roadway. Motorists traveling through the area are urged to use caution, reduce speed, and remain alert for changing conditions.

• DRIVE WITH LIGHTS on low beam. High beams will only be reflected off the fog and impair visibility even more. Your lights help other drivers see your vehicle, so be sure they all work. Keep your windshield and headlights clean, to reduce the glare and increase visibility.
• SLOW DOWN and watch your speedometer before you enter a patch of fog.
• WATCH OUT for slow-moving or stopped vehicles. Open you window a little and listen for traffic you cannot see.
• REDUCE THE DISTRACTIONS in your vehicle. Turn off the radio and keep your cell phone down. Your full attention is required.
• USE WIPERS AND DEFROSTERS for maximum visibility. Sometimes it is difficult to determine if poor visibility is due to fog or moisture on the windshield.
• USE THE RIGHT EDGE of the road or painted road markings as a guide.
• BE PATIENT avoid passing and/or changing lanes.
• SIGNAL TURNS well in advance and brake early as you approach a stop.

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