By the CNN Wire Staff

updated 10:50 AM EST, Sun January 29, 2012



Smoke from a nearby brush fire is thought to be a factor in the crashes

The accidents happened between 11:30 p.m. and 4 a.m., the sheriff's office says

Efforts to remove victims are ongoing

At least nine people were killed in a series of overnight accidents in northern Florida, blamed on poor visibility from smoke from a nearby brush fire, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office said.

Most of the collisions were on Interstate 75, said sheriff's Sgt. Todd Kelly, with some on U.S. Highway 441.

The crashes occurred between 11:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 a.m. Sunday in the same areas, he said. A responding officer reported visibility was virtually zero, he said.

Efforts to remove victims were ongoing Sunday, he said, and traffic has been diverted. The injured were taken to two hospitals in nearby Gainesville, he said.

A dozen or more vehicles were involved in the crashes, Kelly said, describing the scene as "pure chaos" and the worst he has seen in his 14 years of service.

The smoke is from a brush fire at the nearby Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, he said. Darkness was also thought to be a "contributing factor" in the crashes, Kelly said.

CNN's Rich Porter contributed to this report.