Crews in Florida battle 25,000-acre wildfire near ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

Crews in South Florida were trying to contain a wildfire in the Big Cypress National Preserve that burned more than 25,000 acres (100 square kilometers) near the immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” on Wednesday.

The fire caused periodic lane closures due to smoke and poor visibility on the stretch of Interstate 75 known as Alligator Alley, which connects Florida’s east and west coasts and passes through the vast Everglades wetlands. Forest fires are common during the dry winter season.

However, the wildfire posed no threat Wednesday to the state-run “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration prison, said Stephanie Hartman, communications director for the Florida Department of Emergency Management.

“The fire is located 20 miles west of the facility and is burning in the opposite direction. With increased humidity levels, we are seeing faster recovery and containment of the fire,” she said.

“Alligator Alcatraz,” which opened last July on a little-used airfield deep in the Everglades, has become a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration crackdown and holds detainees the federal government seeks to deport.

Hartman said the department is in contact with local and state wildfire crews, who will give them 24 hours’ notice if an evacuation at Alligator Alcatraz becomes necessary. She said evacuation procedures are well prepared, allowing for a quick and efficient response.

She did not immediately respond to a question about the number of inmates at the facility.

When it opens in July 2025, state officials said “Alligator Alcatraz” would have a capacity of 3,000 inmates that could be expanded to 5,000. According to recent information revealed during a series of court hearings in Fort Myers in late January, there were about 1,500 inmates.

A strong cold front Sunday also brought dry air, prompting a fire warning across much of the state, said Anthony Reynes, senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami.

Relative humidity increased Wednesday, helping to alleviate the conditions that fueled the fire, Reynes said. Nonetheless, conditions remain favorable for wildfires due to southerly winds and dry soil and grass, he said.

He said very little rain is forecast for the rest of the week, meaning severe drought conditions continue across the state.

___

Associated Press writer Gisela Salomon in Miami contributed.