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.

  • Some non-native and invasive species will be destroyed, freeing the native species from competition.
  • The ground will be cleared of underbrush, making it easier for birds of prey, such as the Red Shouldered Hawk, to search for food (small mammals, snakes, frogs) on the forest floor.
  • Ground animals such as the Gopher Tortoise, Gray Squirrel, raccoon, and rabbit can travel through the cleared areas more easily. The new plant growth on the ground is also an essential part of their diets.
  • The reduction of highly flammable ground vegetation reduces the possibility of accidental or natural fires starting and burning out of control.
The photos shown here were taken during a small burn on November 11, 2004. The result of the burn was to clear out the undergrowth. As you can see, the groundcover is burned well, the lower trunks of the Sabal Palms are scorched, but the palms are mostly unharmed.

Starting the Fire

Groundcover Burning

Sabal Palm Burning

Groundcover Cleared Below Sabal Palms