Favorable weather may give Florida firefighters the upper hand

From CNN Correspondent Susan Candiotti

BARTOW, Florida (CNN) -- A wildfire burning in central Florida was 50 per cent contained Wednesday but kept interstate traffic at a standstill for the fourth day in a row.

The fire, which had consumed 11,000 acres by Wednesday, forced a portion of Interstate 4 between Tampa and Orlando to be closed. Vehicles remained at a standstill on the highway.

"I-4 is going to be closed in the 7- or 8-mile stretch here due to smoke and trees falling on the road," said Timber Weller, with the Florida Division of Forestry.

VIDEO Correspondent Deborah Bowden shows the fire and talks with firefighters Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Officials said they hoped to reopen the highway by Sunday. In the meantime, traffic is being diverted onto state highways, often resulting in significant delays.

An advantageous weather forecast with 5-10 mph winds was expected to help firefighters Wednesday.

"The conditions today are going to be favorable for some aggressive fire control and they'll be wrapping it up as quickly as they can," Weller said.

The smoke and haze covering Polk County began to stretch into the Orlando area Wednesday.

No structures have been burned, there are currently no evacuations, and no injuries have been reported.

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John Zarrella: Florida wildfire threat
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Florida Division of Forestry

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