[55636] Huge fire rages in South Florida: firefighting forces battle the flames

Huge fire in South Florida: the fire is approaching residential areas

A large forest fire is currently raging in the southern state of Florida, United States, with the fire hotspots concentrated in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, near the city of Miami. According to reports from Moscow 24, the fire has spread over an area estimated at about 80 square kilometers (about 20 thousand acres), and the thick smoke can be seen from many kilometers away.

Many media outlets, including TASS and RIA News Agency, note that over 12 firefighting teams are operating in the field with the assistance of aerial forces in an attempt to contain the flames. NBC reports that as of now, no evacuation orders have been issued to residents, and no casualties or loss of life have been reported.

There is some ambiguity in the various reports regarding the extent of the fire. While sources such as Moscow 24 and MK cite a figure of about 80 square kilometers, other Russian channels such as Soloviev, RT, and Dvach report a much larger area, exceeding 20,000 square kilometers, a claim that seems geographically implausible for this region in Florida.

The coverage of the event among Russian media outlets is sometimes characterized by dramatic descriptions of a "wall of fire" advancing toward houses and highways, this alongside a systemic bias identified with these channels, which place the American administration under constant criticism in the contexts of other geopolitical and military conflicts in the world.