Air Force plans prescribed burns on Tyndall

SOUTHPORT, Fla. – Today, the Florida Forest Service announced that the Air Force Wildland Fire Branch is planning to conduct three prescribed burns on Tyndall Air Force Base this week. The burns are scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 18 – 20.

“The volume of timber on the ground in the Panhandle has created a serious threat, causing great concern for catastrophic wildfire,” said Jim Karels, State Forester and Director of the Florida Forest Service. “As we strategically address this threat and reintroduce limited open burning into the areas impacted by Hurricane Michael, firefighter and public safety is our primary focus.”

The Florida Forest Service administers Florida’s outdoor burning and forest fire laws. The purpose of this week’s prescribed burns is to begin reducing hazardous fuels left in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael and to evaluate the response of hurricane-damaged fuels to prescribed fire within the affected area. Prescribed fire is one of the most valuable land management tools to reduce wildfire threats and to restore forest health.

The burn will only be conducted if weather, equipment, personnel and other required parameters are met. All three burns will be on the north side of Hwy 98 between Tyndall AFB and Mexico Beach. Predominant winds are forecast out of the south. While the smoke plume will be highly visible from Panama City and Callaway areas, the smoke itself should disperse over Tyndall AFB and not impact the surrounding areas.

“Residents should rest assured that we are safely and professional managing these prescribed burns to the highest standard,” said Brett Williams of the Air Force Wildland Fire Branch.

The Airforce Wildland Fire Branch planned a prescribed burn in March, but it was cancelled due to weather conditions. These will be the first prescribed burns conducted on Tyndall AFB since Hurricane Michael.

The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres. Learn more atFloridaForestService.com.

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