Portion of U.S. 41 reopened after Collier County brush fire

OCHOPEE, Fla. A 58-mile portion of U.S. 41 reopened Thursday afternoon in Collier and Miami-Dade counties after heavy smoke was reported in the area, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The closure ran from State Road 29 in Collier County to Krome Avenue in Miami-Dade county due to an ongoing brush fire in Big Cypress National Preserve, according to state troopers.

The fire is scorching approximately 24,338 acres and is 35 percent contained as of Wednesday evening, fire officials said. It closed this same stretch of road twice since Tuesday.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

State troopers provided guidelines for driving near an area with limited visibility:

• Drive with your low beams on
• Don’t speed
• Watch out for slow-moving or parked vehicles
• Avoid distractions like the radio or using a cellphone
• Use wipers and defrosters
• Follow the lines on the road
• Be patient
• Signal turns and brake in advance when approaching a stop
• Don’t stop on a freeway or busy road. Use your turn signal to pull off the road and turn your hazard lights on.