Land Management Through Prescribed Fire

It might seem strange to have a fire rescue division that puts out fires and another that starts them. The Polk County Parks and Natural Resources staff uses a land management tool called prescribed fire. Unlike destructive wildfires, prescribed fires are carefully planned and managed to keep both people and surrounding lands safe. Prescribed fire is one of the most important tools for keeping Polk County’s natural lands healthy, balanced and safe.

What is a Prescribed Fire?
A prescribed fire is not a wildfire or a brush fire. It is a fire that is planned, organized, ignited and managed by an experienced team of prescribed burn managers until complete. Prescribed fires are only carried out under specific environmental, wind and weather conditions to minimize the impacts of smoke on nearby residents and roadways. To reduce risk of fire-related injury or spread of fire, prescribed fire crews wear protective safety gear and use specialized fire-management tools and equipment. They also follow strict rules and safety protocols.

Why do we use fire?
Fires are a natural and important part of Florida’s landscapes that help restore balance to fire-adapted ecosystems. Hundreds and even thousands of years ago, when lightning struck a pine tree, it could ignite a fire that could potentially spread for miles, renewing the landscape once it naturally burned out. There is even evidence of the intentional burning of the land for management purposes by the Native Americans who inhabited Florida. Polk County Parks and Natural Resources staff use prescribed burns to mimic historical natural fire cycles.

So why do we use prescribed fire?
• Proper land management keeps residents and property safe. Prescribed fire clears away excess plants, brush and wood debris that can serve as dangerous forms of fuel for wildfire. Prescribed fire removes this debris in a planned and managed way.

• Prescribed fire allows nature to grow naturally. Many plants that are native to Florida, such as pine trees, saw palmettos and certain wildflowers, need fire to clear away excess vegetation and debris to have enough space and access to light to grow. Prescribed fire removes overgrown plants that are fire-adapted and able to grow back, such as the saw palmetto and other native plants.

• Prescribed burns support wildlife and their habitats. Animals, such as the gopher tortoise, grasshopper sparrow and the Florida scrub-jay, also depend on the open spaces that fires create. Without fire, their habitats will become overgrown and potentially unlivable.

• Prescribed fire is cost effective and saves time on land management practices. Prescribed fire mimics the natural ecosystem process, and with proper planning, ignition and management it is less costly and less damaging to the environment than using machine cutting techniques and chemical spraying to manage land.

These carefully applied fires maintain the health of Florida’s fire-dependent ecosystems, enhance wildlife habitat, improve soil health, promote biodiversity and the cultivation of different species, and reduce the risk of severe

 wildfires. Conducting periodic prescribed burns reduces vegetation and fuel loads, lowering the risk of intense, wildfires or brush fires.

What Planning Goes into a Prescribed Fire?
Experts plan and decide specific areas that need to be managed, then monitor weather, moisture and wind conditions to pick the right time and place to ignite the fire. Trained fire crews with water trucks are always on site to watch and guide the process. All prescribed burns that are carried out by Polk County Parks and Natural Resources Staff are subject to being postponed or canceled due to weather conditions and other factors.

Prescribed fires happen under specific conditions so that fire and smoke do not spread in unintended ways. Steady low to moderate strength wind is required to help the fire spread and burn hot enough to properly manage the land, but winds that are too high or gusty can cause unintended spreading of fire.

Amount of moisture in vegetation, soil and debris as well as the relative humidity are important factors as well. If the material being burned is too dry and the humidity is too low, fire could spread rapidly. If the vegetation, debris and ground are too wet, such as after a big storm, then the fire may not burn at all.

Fire and Florida’s History
Florida’s plants and animals have lived with fire in nature for thousands of years before and after humans settled here. Fire has shaped the forests, prairies, wetlands and other natural features around us. Without fire, many species of plants and animals would struggle to survive or have their habitats taken over by invasive species and overgrowth. By using prescribed fire, Polk County is managing the land to protect both its natural history and future.

A Natural Tool for a Better Future
Prescribed fire is one of the best tools we have to keep Polk County’s natural lands healthy, beautiful and safe. Prescribed burns protect wildlife and habitat, prevent dangerous wildfire and connect our land back to its natural state.

When you hear about Polk County Parks and Natural Resources staff conducting a prescribed fire, remember— prescribed fire is nature’s way of taking care of itself, just with a little help from the experts.

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