Prescribed fire visible for miles as experts warn of dry conditions

Smoke was visible for miles across parts of Southwest Florida on Monday as the Florida Forest Service carried out a large prescribed burn south of Tamiami Trail, just south of Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park.

The burn covered approximately 1,400 acres.

Drivers along Tamiami Trail saw crews actively setting vegetation on fire, while the smoke stretched far beyond the burn area. At Port of the Islands Marina, several boaters said the sight initially caught them off guard.

Joyce Althoff, who was visiting the area, said the smoke was unexpected at first. “Our guide said that’s kind of strange — that there’s smoke in the air,” she said.

Others at the marina knew it was likely a prescribed burn given the conditions. 

“This whole west coast of Florida is very dry,” said Nicholas Bost, an off-duty firefighter.

“We’ve had several drier wet seasons,” said boat captain Bobby Thoner,“I think it was three years ago — the driest wet season I can remember.”

Prescribed burns are planned in advance and are used for several land management purposes, including habitat management, ecosystem health, and reducing vegetation that can fuel wildfires.

Cold weather can also contribute to fire conditions. Colder air holds less moisture, which lowers humidity and can dry out vegetation more quickly.

“By doing prescribed fire, you take away the fuels that are there that would cause the wildfire,” said Mike Cox the natural resources manager at Naples Botanical Garden.

Cox was not involved in Monday’s burn and emphasized that prescribed fires vary widely depending on location and purpose. 

“Each prescribed fire is a little different,” he said. “Each person writing a prescription is writing it for a different reason. So conditions for a fire may be good in one place today, but might totally change someone else’s plans.”

Cox said he has seen firsthand how dangerous uncontrolled fires can be.

During Southwest Florida’s last major fire season in 2017, the Picayune Strand fire burned for several days and scorched more than 7,200 acres.

“The fire came pretty close, within a couple houses,” Cox said. “My dad and I were putting water on the roof, and we couldn’t see the mailbox from standing on the roof. And it was scary.”

“I don’t know what caused the fires, but I do know that prescribed fire definitely helps lower that risk,” Cox said.

As the dry season continues across Southwest Florida, officials are urging people to exercise caution with anything that could ignite a fire.