Interstate 75 reopens in North Port after being closed by smoke from wildfire

Heavy smoke from a wildfire in North Port shut down Interstate 75 in both directions on Saturday as firefighters worked to control the blaze.

As of 11 p.m. Saturday, the blaze — named the Raintree Fire — was burning about 3,200 acres in the Griffin Preserve in southern Sarasota County and was about 30 percent contained, according to the Florida Forest Service. The interstate remained shut down in both directions until about midnight.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Air-1 and the Forest Service’s FOR-20 helicopters made more than 200 water drops, according to a tweet by Wildfire Mitigation Specialist Patrick M. Mahoney of the Forest Service.

Mahoney tweeted at 10:14 p.m. Saturday that night crews relieved firefighters from the day shift and would be battling the blaze in the overnight hours. Despite rain showers that passed through the area Saturday evening, active flames continued, he said.

The Florida Highway Patrol announced at about 1 p.m. that the interstate had been closed between exit 170 at Kings Highway to exit 179 at Toledo Blade Boulevard due to poor visibility from the wildfire burning near the area of mile marker 173. Officials announced that I-75 may be closed overnight, but the highway was reopened around midnight.

North Port firefighters and Charlotte County Fire Rescue were working with the Florida Forest Service to contain the fire that had jumped the interstate near the area of Yorkshire and Raintree Loop early Saturday afternoon and continued to move north.

North Port Police, the Sarasota and Charlotte counties sheriff’s offices and FHP were at the scene to assist fire personnel.

This story was originally published May 13, 2017 at 2:03 PM with the headline "Interstate 75 reopens in North Port after being closed by smoke from wildfire."