Prescribed fires recently took place along Palm Valley Road in Ponte Vedra Beach, which may have led some who saw the smoke to question what was going on, as smoke can easily be a sign that something is wrong.
However, in that case it was completely under control and it will not be the last time these such prescribed burns will be taking place around the area, as it is a practice rooted in tradition for the state of Florida.
According to the Florida Department of Agriculture, prescribed fires are one of the most versatile and cost-effective approaches that land managers can use.
The use of prescribed fires as a forest management tool differs from state to state, but the Florida Forest Service oversees one of the most active prescribed fire programs in the country.
Years of having such an active program has resulted in the state having a regimented and tested approach plan when it comes to properly and safely executing a prescribed fire.
The first step of a prescribed fire is that burn managers try their best to find a natural firebreak, such as a creek, from which they begin a downwind “backfire” near.
Spot “headfires” are ignited successively that will eventually stopping at the backfire, which will have created a back line of area already burned.
Several precautions are in place in order to make sure a prescribed fire does not get out of hand, including having a line of crew members with shovels ensuring the burn is contained by shoveling dirt to eventually smother the flames.
A brush truck equipped with foam will also be parked nearby as a last line of defense to ensure the fire does not spread beyond the designated region.
Having layers of precautions in place before every prescribed burn is key to making sure that the fire does its ultimate job, which is to help prevent wildfires from occurring.
Prescribed fires reduce the risk of wildfires, by reducing the naturally occurring “fuels” within forest areas, such as the think brush and debris that can grow along the forest floor, which can make a wildfire spread and become uncontrollable at a faster rate.
The U.S. Forest Service surveyed wildlife statistics on federal land in the South during the 1985 fire season and found that fires that occurred in areas that had not had prescribed fires accounted for 77% of the total acreage destroyed.
On the other hand, only 17% of the wildfires larger than 300 acres occurred in prescribed burned areas.
Prescribed fires also produce benefits for animals living in the forest, because those creatures are effected in a negative way and endangered during wildfires just as people nearby are.
According to the Florida Department of Agriculture, unlike a wildfire, prescribed fires is rarely lethal to most forms of wildlife.
Increased benefits following a prescribed fire include an increased yield of herbs and legumes nd an opening for feeding and travel of wildlife.
