TALLAHASSEE, Fla., June 30, 2020 – The U.S. Forest Service is prescribed burning in the Apalachicola National Forest today.
The 2,596-acre burn will be conducted in Wakulla County east of Smith Creek Road, south of Forest Road 309. The burn will improve wildlife habitat, eliminate vegetation build up and reduce the threat of wildfires.
The USDA Forest Service Southern Region is taking a risk-informed approach to managing prescribed fire by evaluating the following factors: (1) the ability to maintain fire responder viability and sustainability; (2) potential smoke impacts to communities from prescribed fire and how that interacts with COVID-19 effects; and (3) the ability to use local resources so inter-state travel is not necessary. Smaller scale prescribed fires will slowly resume in select locations to achieve critical forest management objectives. Operations will pay special attention to smoke management, while keeping the safety of the public and firefighters in mind at all times.
People are reminded that the smoke they may see today and tomorrow in this vicinity is not coming from a wildfire. Motorists are cautioned to drive slowly with lights on while traveling in smoky areas. Drivers should be particularly cautious in areas where prescribed fires have taken place when it is foggy. Morning fog can mix with smoke and decrease visibility further.
This is one of many prescribed burns the Apalachicola National Forest is doing during the 2020 prescribed burning season. Today’s burn is in burn unit 310 (see the Apalachicola’s planned burn map): http://bit.ly/2NdlE34
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