Brush fire in Collier County grows to 25,000 acres, raising visibility concerns for drivers

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. —

A brush fire, which sparked in Collier County early Monday morning, continued to grow overnight and now sits at 25,000 acres on Tuesday.

The fire, which is being called the "National Incident" by the Florida Forest Service, is located south of Immokalee around the State Road 29 exit.

As of the latest update from FFS, the fire is 0% contained.

Concern has risen due to the fire's proximity to Alligator Alley, potentially impacting drivers.

The National Weather Service issued a statement expressing visibility concerns due to smoke for drivers in Big Cypress, Jerome, Copeland, Ochopee, Everglades City and along Tamiami Trail. The statement expires at 9 a.m., though smoke still may be visible.

The "National Incident" is one of three brush fires being tracked in Southwest Florida.

The "Regal Incident" was discovered around 8:13 p.m. Monday night, near US-41 and mile marker 65 in Ochopee. As of 9:34 p.m. Monday, the fire had spread to 50 acres.

The "Grand Incident" is located just north of Interstate 75 and currently sits under five acres in size as of the latest update from the National Park Service.

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