80-acre brush fire near I-75 in Charlotte County now contained

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (WINK)— A small fire spread to about 80 acres along I-75 in Charlotte County on Thursday.

The Florida Forestry Service says it is now 100% contained. Signs line both northbound and southbound lanes along mile marker 150 on I-75 showing "visibility low" in some parts—a reminder to slow down.

Drivers had to hit the brakes while crews worked to put out the brush fire. At one point, the Florida Highway Patrol shut down a northbound lane.

The smoke settled over the road earlier in the day. With the fire sparking right by the county line, crews from Charlotte and Lee counties were on scene in full force.

Mitigation Specialist Jessie Lavender says the fire spread quickly across 80 acres. While crews were working to put the fire out, the weather did not make their job any easier.

"This fire grew pretty quickly because it was basically right on the edge of a thunderstorm. So our crews and the fire department worked very quickly to try and get a line around it," Lavender said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The Florida Forestry Service and the Florida Highway Patrol will be monitoring conditions overnight and keeping an eye out for any hotspots.

Smoky conditions are expected to continue into Friday morning.