Flagler County on Sunday (today) will continue to conduct a prescribed fire at its Bulow Creek conservation property, and residents living off of Old Kings Road South in the Bulow Plantation area may see smoke. Those living on Secretariat Lane, Steeplechase Trail, and Lexington Court may also see emergency vehicles there to monitor conditions.
The Land Management Department with the assistance of Flagler County Fire Rescue, the Florida Forest Service, the Florida Park Service, and staff from the National Interagency Prescribed Fire Training Center will conduct the 100-acre prescribed fire between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The prescribed burn’s objectives are to reduce hazardous fuels and ecological restoration of gopher tortoise habitat.
“Fire is a natural and necessary component wildland ecology within nearly all of Florida’s ecosystems,” said Prescribed Fire Program Supervisor Michael Orlando. “It is vital to the native plants and animals, like the gopher tortoise, that inhabit the site. Also, by applying prescribed fire during favorable conditions, we reduce the likelihood and hazard level of potential wildfires. This practice is important to our habitat maintenance and wildfire mitigation practices.”
Land Management maintains about 10,000 acres within Flagler.
“Of that acreage, about 3,000 acres are ready for prescribed fire under favorable conditions,” said Public Lands and Natural Resources Manager Michael Lagasse. “We have more lands – about another 1,500 acres – that should be maintained by fire but require additional mechanical work to reduce the fuel loads before fire can be safely returned to them.”
A successful prescribed fire, sometimes also referred to as a “controlled” fire, removes the hazardous level of fuel in a given area. Unplanned wildfires have a greater risk of being destructive, because the accumulation of vegetation serves as the fuel for these hotter, faster moving fires.
“We spend a lot of time planning and preparing for prescribed burning, but we don’t make the decision to burn until the last minute,” Orlando said. “The weather has to be just right – it can’t be too windy, or from the wrong direction. Other factors such as relative humidity and dispersion index are important to our considerations too. We review the forecast for many factors and monitor them for days before a fire and throughout the day of the burn.”
Jane Gentile-Youd says
And prescribed burn permits mandate winds do not blow in the direction of homes at the exact time the permits are issued. From what I have read it appears this latest burn blew ash straight into homes as far south as Halifax Plantation in Volusia County.
Who really cares anynore about rules anyway I wonder.
Concerned Citizen says
Our fire fighters try and follow the rules as much as mother nature allows.
Permits are issued in advance. Unfortunately mother nature does what she wants. I have been on enough burns and had perfect weather to start. Then an hour in the wind shifts. And picks up. Then all you can do is contain your fire lines.
I see more and more people protest and get angry about prescribed burns. However I’m guessing these folks weren’t here in 88,98 and 2007,2010. Prescribed fire is absolutely critical to managing eco systems and reducing fuel sources. And as dry as we are this year should be done as often as possible.
Fredrick says
Those who complain of the controlled burns obviously did not live here in 1998… If they did, they would welcome them. The fires of “98” and the complete evacuation of the county, freeway closed north and south, sitting on A1A for 7 hours to get to JAX with the family, dogs (ok yes they are family) and as many belong ins as we could fit in the car. Good Times….. Good Times….