A brush fire in western Broward was burning thousands of acres Friday and could be seen from U.S. 27, according to authorities.

The Mile Marker 40 fire had grown to 4,500 acres and was 20% contained, according to the latest update from the Florida Forest Service.

The flames were located in the Florida Everglades, west of U.S. 27 and about 10 miles north of Interstate 75.

The fire wasn’t threatening homes and no roads were closed but drivers were taking notice.

“It looks like it’s getting darker, it’s amazing, it’s sad,” said Martha Flowers.

Light winds on Friday morning kept the smoke contained to the area, but its direction later in the day will determine where residents will see hazy skies.

Rain forecast for the afternoon could assist in the firefight.

Two miles south, at Sawgrass Recreation Park, many were keeping a close eye on the flames while airboat tours changed course to avoid the smoke.

“Right now our main concern here at the park and on the boats is where the smoke is going,” Sawgrass Recreation Park co-owner Tim Schwartzman said. “Right now we are limiting some of our tours that go further out to stay out of that area because the smoke is pretty rough.”

The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined but the owners of the park said there were hundreds of lightning strikes when storms rolled through this week.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.