A wildfire in Southwest Miami-Dade has prompted road closures, scary stories of escape and fierce response from fire crews as it enters its fourth day.

Officially called the 344 fire, the blaze began Tuesday and has swelled to 24,000 acres in size, according to the Florida Forest Service. It was about 30% contained as of Thursday evening. 

On Friday, a fire weather watch will be in effect from 8 a.m. into the evening. The day also brings a shift in wind direction, which means firefighters’ strategy will shift too, and include more resources to get the flames under control. 

“We’ve had some winds out of the south, southwest, southeast now. They’re moving more towards the north, so that means it’s gonna change the direction of the progression of the fire,” Ludi Bond, of the Florida Forest Service, explained. 

Those winds also change where the smoke and ash impacts are felt, and the priority remains keeping the flames away from structures, communities and the Homestead-Miami Speedway, where thousands are expected this weekend for the NASCAR Cup series.

“We did receive new resources today, firefighting resources. So the Florida Forest Service ordered two new strike teams of engines. They arrived today. There’ll be boots on the ground [Friday],” Bond said.  

Crews are bracing for changing winds as they enter their fourth day of fighting the 344 Fire, which means a shift in strategy. NBC6’s Jamie Guirola reports

What roads are closed?

U.S. 1 will open and close intermittently for an uncertain amount of time for fire operations, officials said.

Are there any injuries or threatened structures?

There were no reported injuries as of Thursday. The area where the fire broke out is largely rural. Officials said no structures are threatened.

What is a fire weather watch?

This combination of low humidity, lack of rain and gusty winds has prompted a fire weather watch, meaning that “any fire that develops could catch and spread quickly. Outdoor burning is not recommended,” the National Weather Service says.

This means firefighters will have to battle unfavorable conditions as they work to contain the 344 fire.

How do crews fight the fire?

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said it is working with the Florida Forest Service to put out the fire. Crews were seen on the ground and in the air, working around the clock.

The Florida Forest Service gave NBC6 a closer look at the firefight along Card Sound Road.

“It is dry enough for everything to burn, but wet enough that we can’t put our equipment there without sinking. So it’s very challenging,” said Kevin MacEwen with the Florida Forest Service.

Aerial operations have been crucial in this battle as Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the Florida Forest Service can’t access certain areas on the ground.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s Air Rescue mission involves deploying Bambi Buckets to release water into the hotspots. There are two MDFR chopper crews actively working the fire, circling back every 1 to 2 minutes.

NBC6 observed helicopters hovering over a lake near the Homestead-Miami Speedway and using the buckets to collect the water. The helicopters then fly over back to the fire to dump the water there.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the Florida Forest Service give a look into the challenging fight against a wildfire in southwest Miami-Dade. NBC6’s Laura Rodriguez reports

“It’s probably one of the more dangerous operations that we conduct. We do conduct a lot of training on it,” said Chief Pilot Robert Wallis of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

The Florida Forest Service has four helicopters on the scene, along with four planes. Each bucket carries about 320 gallons of water.

“Aviation is always a risky business to some level but it is inherently safe, and fire is also a potentially dangerous operation so when we mix the two … but you know we are extremely cautious,” said Francis Neeley of Florida Forest Service Aviation. “We go through protocol, we do checklists, and this is why we do briefings before and debriefings after.”

A warning to drone operators

Firefighters made a plea to people with drones.

“They don’t mix,” Bond said. “We’ve noticed a couple of drone intrusions [Thursday]. That really can hinder firefighting efforts and put our firefighters and our communities at risk, so we need people to stay away with their drones and don’t come out with them.”