Florida Highway Patrol officials say Alligator Alley may be open for part of today. It has been closed for several days due to a brush fire in the Big Cypress Preserve. The Alley, which is I-75 stretches from Naples in Collier county to Broward County.

Officials said the highway is scheduled for a temporary opening at noon today, but would close at 7 p.m. tonight. FHP officials will decide early Sunday if the highway will be safe enough to open following a meeting, officials said.

The 7 p.m. closure is because cooler temperatures at night can keep smoke closer to the ground and if it drafts across the Interstate, it could cause traffic problems for motorists, officials said.

More than 12,000 acres have burned in the state preserve since the fire began Tuesday. The Alley was closed on Wednesday with motorists advised to use alternate routes on U.S. 41.

The fire was burning between Interstate mile markers 71 and 86. Officials said today’s winds are coming from the east at only 10 to 15 miles per hour and the conditions are expected to remain the same for the next few days.

When the road is closed tonight, motorists will be advised to continue to use alternative traffic patterns on US. 41.

It is believed that the fire began from sparks from a lightning strike. Since the fire began, around 100 firefighters have been battling the blaze along with help and support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the state’s Division of Forestry, the Miccosukee and Seminole Indian tribes, the Division of Environmental Protection the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Operations Center, the Port of the Island Fire Districts, the American Red Cross. Officials say they hope to have the Alley opened on Monday.