Fla. Wildfire Causes Prison Evacuation

(AP)  South Florida residents were warned to stay indoors and a state prison and federal detention center were evacuated Monday as smoke from a massive wildfire in Everglades National Park billowed their way.

No structures were in danger, though officials said the fire was burning in the only known habitat for the endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow.

The 56-square-mile blaze was about 30 percent contained. The smoke was blowing to the northeast, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Nina Barrow. Smoke and fog advisories were issued for Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Glades counties.

Moderate to unhealthy air quality conditions were expected throughout the week, according to the Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resource Management.

Inmates and detainees at Everglades Correctional Institution and the Krome Detention Center were being moved to other facilities as a precaution due to the nearby fires. Everglades, a state prison, evacuated 1,753 inmates, while Krome is federal immigration lockup that holds about 600.

Firefighters have been battling 88 active fires that have burned about 69 square miles from Brevard County, on the state's Atlantic coast, south to Miami-Dade County.

Six fires that had burned close to 20 square miles and destroyed a number of homes in Brevard County were about 75 percent contained, said Florida Division of Forestry spokesman Todd Schroeder. The causes of the blazes remained under investigation.

[martublade]

http://www.niconot.com/?id=468172

[al2008-2009]

I%u2019m appalled at the administration%u2019s lack of response to the global warming fires, hurricanes, and cyclones as well. We have no comprehensive strategy in place whatsoever, let alone a detailed plan of action to mitigate the effects of these fires, quakes and cyclones, and mother earth continues to suffer while the administration refuses to go forward and do what%u2019s right for mother earth.
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How long must we sit idly by while our mother continues to suffer from the warming taking place at a feverish pace? How long must our mother suffer before we have proper c02 taxes put into place? How long must the destruction of mother earth take place before we finally put responsible regulations into effect? How long must we wait until we beef up our corn ethanol production? At least Obama wants to cut c02 pollution by 80%; he is definitely our best hope.
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We the people call upon our leaders to implement a comprehensive antiglobal warming strategy at once and work in coordination with state and federal officials; these fires and disasters continue to worsen and the quicker we stop the warming the sooner we will see these fires and storms cease. We need action now.