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National Fire in Florida ‘explodes’ in size

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. (CBS, KYMA) - A wildfire burning in a massive South Florida swampland nature preserve "exploded" in size Monday, officials said.

According to officials, the National Fire began on Monday in Big Cypress National Preserve, a protected home of Florida panthers, before "exploding" to 25,000 acres in size as of Tuesday morning.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said "enhanced fire behavior" remained a concern for South Florida Tuesday due to continued drought and dry air.

Burn bans were in effect for Collier, Palm Beach, Hendry, and Glades Counties, according to the NWS.

Footage from an FDOT live camera shows a dark plume of smoke emitting from the fire as traffic flowed nearby on Interstate 75.

Article Topic Follows: National-World

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Dillon Fuhrman

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