VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Hours before thick smog enveloped I-95 in Volusia County caused half a dozen crashes and three deaths, and before the controlled burn that released the smoke into the air, state forestry officials made the decision to not notify Florida Highway Patrol leaders about potentially dangerous driving conditions.

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That’s because there weren’t any.

Before, during and after the controlled burn, winds were favorable, blowing smoke away from the busy interstate. The department, though not in charge of the burn itself, released a standard notice to local governments telling them a permit had been approved.

Officials said the burn started late morning and wrapped up around 2 p.m. The contractor stayed on site until 5 p.m. to ensure no new smoke was rising. He reported a slight haze in the air, which is considered normal.

TIMELINE: 3 dead after 5 crashes close 18-mile stretch of I-95 in Volusia County

WATCH: A look at driving conditions along I-95 Volusia County Thursday morning (WFTV)

It was only hours after he left the scene that cooling temperatures and moist air condensed into fog, mixed with smoke and rolled over the highway. By then, it was too late.

Thursday morning’s crash was the latest in a series of similar incidents stretching back 15 years. Nearly one dozen people died on I-75 in Alachua County a decade ago when smog rolled over that highway. Longtime residents of Central Florida will remember a 70-car pileup on I-4 in Polk County that killed five people.

Through the years, practices and regulations changed. Foresters no longer laugh when they fill a road with smoke. Notifications are required. Nighttime burns are banned.

“You’ve got to really manage this smoke,” semi-retired burn contractor Charlie King said. “When they tell you that’s your smoke, you own it. So, you’re on the hook for whatever. You’re doing everything right.”

READ: All lanes on I-95 reopen more than 24 hours after series of deadly crashes

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I-95 crashes (WFTV Staff)

The 76-year old said he had witnessed the weather-induced phenomenon a few times out of the 200 to 300 fires he has set. He said that, plus the risk of embers igniting a new fire, makes him check his burn sites every few hours the following night.

None of his incidents ever resulted in a deadly crash. The worst that happened, he recalled, were a few of his warning signs along the roadway being stolen.

“We don’t have control over the weather. All we can do is guess what it’s going to be,” he said. “When you see it’s going to start going south… you better plow out and stop.”

WATCH: Channel 9 news crew, Drone 9 witness low visibility near I-95 deadly crashes

Video: All lanes on I-95 reopen more than 24 hours after series of deadly crashes (Q McCray, WFTV.com)

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