Prescribed
Fire
Native plants, animals, birds, reptiles, and insects depend on a healthy ecosystem for survival. The main way to keep fire-dependent communities healthy is through the use of prescribed fire. Fire is nature's land manager. Early Florida's natural landscape was shaped by fires caused by lightening as well as by the Native American tribes. For example, as a result of frequent natural fires, pine forests remained open and free of underbrush. In place of allowing random wildfires started by lightening strikes to burn, the State of Florida follows a prescribed fire program. Rangers attend Fire School which is a week-long course in how to properly plan, set, and manage a fire. Once a ranger has completed the course, he/she is able to plan and manage a burn. Once a supervised burn is completed successfully, he/she is assigned a burn number. After a prescribed burn, the area looks black and devoid of life. But in as little as one week after a burn, plants begin to germinate and push up through the ashes. You can clearly see bright green patches against the black, charred ground. Many plants are fire-adapted: they have special properties that protect them from significant fire damage. For example, the bark of the slash pine protects the tree from catching fire; only the bark is scorched. Soon the area will be fully recovered from the fire and there will be new growth throughout the burn zone. A well planned and executed burn is of benefit to the entire environment.
Starting the Fire
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