Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017.

That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns July through September in the following locations:

• Prairie Shell Creek: 3081 Duncan Road (U.S. Highway 17), Punta Gorda. (Charlotte County)
  Approximately 300 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.
   
• Deep Creek Preserve: 10797 Peace River Street in Arcadia, east of State Road 769. (DeSoto County)
  Approximately 350 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.
   
• Edward W. Chance Reserve - Gilley Creek Tract: Gilley Creek is located between State Road 62 and 64, east of County Road 675. (Manatee County)
  Approximately 500 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.
   
• Myakka River - Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and Myakka River - Schewe Tract: West of North Port, east of the Myakka River, and north and south of Interstate 75. (Sarasota County)
  Approximately 450 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.

Some major benefits of prescribed fire include:

• Reducing overgrown plants, which decreases the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
• Promoting the growth of new, diverse plants.
• Maintaining the character and condition of wildlife habitat.
• Maintaining access for public recreation.

The District conducts prescribed fires on approximately 30,000 acres each year.

Click here to see aerial footage from a prescribed fire in the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve where District land management staff burned 320 acres.