Wildfires Disrupt I-75, Force Lane Closures Near Bonita Springs

BONITO SPRINGS, FL — One lane of northbound Interstate 75 was closed Saturday evening as fire crews battled wildfires along the highway.

The Florida Highway Patrol was monitoring several fires along the highway in the Bonita Springs area that started somewhere around 4 p.m.

The Florida Forest Service said the 20-acre fire was about 20 percent contained as of 6:40 p.m.

I-75 was shut down northbound from Bonito Beach Road to Corkscrew Road for about an hour due to smoke conditions, but authorities had reopened all but one lane by 5:45 p.m. Photos tweeted by the highway patrol showed smoke spreading widely across a neighborhood near the highway.

The right lane remained closed from milemarker 116 to 118 for fire and emergency crews to operate, the highway patrol said.

There were no reports of damage to structures or injuries as of 7 p.m. Saturday.