MIAMI -- A smoky brushfire closed down both directions of Florida's Turnpike and snarled traffic on Interstate 75 for several hours Wednesday.

The fire that burned an area just west of I-75 forced the closure of the turnpike between Red Road southbound and Okeechobee Road northbound. There were also sporadic closures on I-75 in the area.

"No way we could have let traffic go through at that point," Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Pat Santangelo said. "Visibility was zero and the heat and intensity of flames could have actually caused a vehicle to catch on fire."

As of 6 p.m., firefighters said that the fire was under control and the turnpike was reopened.

It took more than 60 firefighters and forestry officers to battle the fire and keep it away from homes lining I-75. They said at no point were any homes in danger.

The wind was blowing from east to west, carrying the smoke away from residential areas and toward the Everglades.

The Division of Forestry said that the fire had scorched more than 400 acres of Melaleuca trees. Some were still smoking Thursday morning.

The county health department said that air quality could have been affected, and they recommended that elderly people and those with respiratory problems take precautions in the general area.