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UPDATE: As of Tuesday, March 27, there are no road closures due to the Collier brush fires.

EARLIER: 

Officials closed U.S. 41 East between San Marco Road and Port of the Islands Monday afternoon due to smoke from nearby wildfires, Collier County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kristine Gill said.

School buses will not be allowed to pass through the area.

Winds pushed the Greenway Fire south into Collier-Seminole State Park Monday, according to Samantha Quinn, a Florida Forest Service wildfire mitigation specialist and spokeswoman.

U.S. 41 is blocked off because firefighters from several fire districts are protecting structures inside the Seminole Indian Reservation Village, Quinn said.

Fire crews are anticipating the sea breeze to shift and push the fire into an area that has already burned.

The Greenway Fire started March 21 about four miles east of Collier Boulevard and one mile north of U.S. 41 East. As of Monday morning, the Greenway Fire scorched 7,239 acres and is 25 percent contained.

Get the latest updates: Status of Collier brush fires on Monday, March 26

EARLIER: The Florida Highway Patrol had closed portions of I-75 and U.S. 41 in Collier County due to smoke from multiple brush fires.

All lanes of I-75 have reopened. 

The FHP had closed I-75 (Alligator Alley) from mile marker 101 at SR 951 to mile marker 80 at SR 29. U.S. 41 is also closed between the same roadways due to poor visibility.

More: Fire crews work to keep blaze from reaching east Collier homes

More: Marco Island covered by smoke from Collier brush fires, authorities say

Here are some tips to remember when driving in poor visibility conditions:

  • DRIVE WITH LIGHTS on low beam. High beams will only be reflected back off the fog and actually impair visibility even more. Your lights help other drivers see your vehicle, so be sure they all work. Keep your windshield and headlights clean, to reduce the glare and increase visibility.
  • SLOW DOWN - and watch your speedometer before you enter a patch of fog. Be sure that you can stop within the distance that you can see. Fog creates a visual illusion of slow motion when you may actually be speeding. Speed is a major factor in fog-related crashes.
  • WATCH OUT for slow-moving and parked vehicles. Open your window a little and listen for traffic you cannot see.
  • REDUCE THE DISTRACTIONS in your vehicle. Turn off the radio and cell phone. Your full attention is required.
  • USE WIPERS AND DEFROSTERS liberally for maximum visibility. Sometimes it is difficult to determine if poor visibility is due to fog or moisture on the windshield.
  • USE THE RIGHT EDGE of the road or painted road markings as a guide.
  • BE PATIENT. Avoid passing and/or changing lanes.
  • SIGNAL TURNS well in advance and brake early as you approach a stop.
  • DO NOT STOP on a freeway or heavily traveled road. You could become the first link in a chain-reaction collision. If you must pull off the road, signal (people tend to follow tail lights when driving in fog), then carefully pull off as far as possible. After pulling off the road, turn on your hazard flashers (hazard lights should only be used when you pull over to show that you are parked on the side of the road). Move away from the vehicle.
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Colleen Mahmet shared the following video with us. She said, "This was what we awoke to in Reflection Lakes this morning. It’s clearing up now. Still hazy and everything smells like a campfire." Submitted by Colleen Mahmet

 

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