A massive Everglades wildfire is burning thousands of acres in Broward County and sending smoke across South Florida.

A wildfire burning in the Florida Everglades sent the smell of smoke and haze into the air across South Florida early Wednesday.

A US judge has ordered that the immigration detention centre in the Florida Everglades be shut within two months.

CBS12’s Victoria De Cardenas had traffic camera footage from Alligator Alley, where thick smoke still lingered despite some flames appearing to die down. Aerial footage from Wednesday showed the fire’s aggressive spread.

Since starting Monday, the fire has burned over 42,000 acres, according to the Florida Forest Service. The “Mile Marker 39 Fire,” which is 10% contained as of Thursday afternoon.

A blanket of smoke was seen across parts of South Florida on Wednesday as firefighters in Broward County worked to control a brush fire in the Everglades, according to WSVN.

In what is now deemed the largest wildfire in Florida this year, the Everglades blaze that has been blowing smoke into Broward County, has grown to 42,000 acres, the Florida Forest Service said Thursday afternoon.

Danielson noted that Everglades wildfires often go unnoticed by the public, and it's unusual for wind patterns to push smoke into metro areas. But a persistent west-to-southwesterly wind is doing just that, said Chuck Caracozza, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami.

The Mile Marker 39 Fire burning outside of Miami in the Florida Everglades consumed over 40,000 acres since the blaze started.