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The biggest blaze in more than 25 years in the Big Cypress National Preserve continued to grow over Memorial Day weekend, and Collier County residents could be increasingly seeing its effects as early as today, officials said.

The fire in the preserve is actually five individual fires that together have burned 56,992 acres, said Art Wirtz, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service incident management team that is fighting the blaze. The largest of the fires, known as the Strickland fire, has burned about 30,000 acres a few miles east of State Road 29 and north of Alligator Alley.

A second large fire, known as the Midrest fire, has burned about 19,000 acres west of the Levee 28 Interceptor and straddling the Alley.

Three smaller fires, which also burned in the preserve, have been contained and died down. Lightning strikes ignited all five on May 4, about 23 miles northeast of Everglades City, officials said.

On Tuesday afternoon, firefighters started controlled burns in an attempt to burn a 1-mile-by-5-mile fire break west of the fires. With winds blowing from the east, the fire break is expected to stop the spread of the fires to the west, Wirtz said.

Local fire officials warned that residents, as far inland as Marco Island, could see heavy smoke and light ash over the next few days. Residents in Golden Gate Estates will get the brunt of the smoke.

“It’s not the fire spreading. It’s not increasing the risk,” Wirtz said. “What it essentially is is burning it out so we can reinforce the line. If we do get increased wind, it might push the fire that way, but it pushes it into a black area that is already burned out.”

The smoke should be heaviest in the morning while many residents are commuting to work, said Victor Hill, a spokesman for the Golden Gate fire district.

“It’s really hard to tell how bad it’s going to be,” Hill said. “I think from what we’ve been led to believe, residents at a minimum, even down by the beach, might be smelling it. ... There could be foggy conditions, so motorists commuting to work need to pay attention to the local media.”

Going into its fourth week, the Big Cypress blaze is difficult to fight for a variety of reasons, including accessibility, drought conditions and the reluctance of land managers to use bulldozers on preserve land without trails, officials said.

Fire in the preserve, Wirtz said, is actually burning below the surface. So while spurts of rain may help extinguish the fire at the surface, fire from below quickly emerges.

“For a season-ending rain you’d need a long-term rain; a good, heavy rain that keeps going for many, many days or weeks,” Wirtz said.

Last week park officials announced the mandatory evacuation and full closure of recreational and private landowner access to the Bear Island Unit and the Addition Lands north of Interstate 75 and west of the northern portion of Turner River Road. Despite its size, the Big Cypress fire hasn’t damaged any homes or private camps in the preserve, park spokesman Bob DeGross said.

“In general, fire is a major part of the Florida natural history,” DeGross said. “People may be looking at the short-term impacts of this fire and say this might be a bad thing. But in actuality, fire on the landscape is just a moment in time event and the long-term benefits are outstanding to wildlife.”

There are 333 federal, state and local firefighters and support staff battling the fire, Wirtz said. Firefighters are making use of 14 engines, two bulldozers, and eight aircrafts.

“There are resources from all over the country that we’ve brought in,” said Wirtz, who is from Arizona.

The fire is about 55 percent contained, officials said.

The blaze is the largest in the Big Cypress since 1981, when flames tore through more than 155,000 acres of the 729,000-acre preserve east of State Road 29, between Alligator Alley and U.S. 41 East.

Collier Health Department offers smoke safety tips

The Collier County Health Department is urging the public, and especially people with respiratory problems, to take precautions to avoid exposure to the smoke and ash particles due to brush fires in eastern Collier County.

People who live in close proximity to the fire-stricken areas should remain indoors and avoid inhalation of the smoke and ash from the fires. Moreover, ordinary dusk masks, designed to filter out large particles, may not help and still could allow the more dangerous smaller particles to pass through the mask.

Here are other tips:

• If you live near the fire-prone areas, refrain from exercising outdoors, especially if you smell smoke or notice irritation to your eyes or throat.

• Extra precaution should be used for children, whose lungs are still developing and who may be more susceptible to irritation.

• While driving, keep your car windows and vents closed.

For people with respiratory conditions and chronic heart disease:

• Stay indoors with doors, windows and fireplace dampers shut, and use air conditioners on the recirculation setting so outdoor air will not circulate inside.

• If you experience increased symptoms of your condition, contact your physician.

• If going outside is necessary, breathe through a damp cloth to help filter out particles in the air.

• People using oxygen shouldn’t adjust their level of intake before contacting their physician and shouldn’t alter their medication regime.

• If you develop a persistent cough or difficult or painful breathing, call your physician. The onset of symptoms can be 24 to 48 hours after exposure to smoke or ash particles.

• Avoid yard work or clean-up activities where dust or soot is present. Thoroughly set dusty and soot areas before starting cleaning up.