Glades County residents fed up with black ash from sugarcane burns
Anchor Lois Thome
•6/3/2026
ORTONA, Fla. (WINK)—Many people living in a waterfront boating community in Glades County are frustrated with black ash and soot falling from the sky in their neighborhood. It comes from the sugarcane fields.
Steve LaPorte lives in the Ortona area and brought his concerns to WINK Listens in Immokalee. WINK News traveled to his neighborhood to investigate.
"I put this piece of sticky vinyl down here yesterday morning, and you can even see some of the size of the ash that landed here," LaPorte said.
His neighbors share the same frustration. Nearly 30 people showed up the day we met with LaPorte, all with similar complaints about the ash.
"That stuff comes through your screens and it's like sieve. It's amazing the mess that it makes almost every day," one neighbor said.
The ash comes from the burning of sugarcane fields at farms around Lake Okeechobee. Farmers burn to remove dried leaves and excess debris, making harvesting sugarcane simpler and more efficient.
"This is the size of this rag is what was laying on our boat this morning," one person said, providing the visual.
Woman holds up rag used to clean up ash
LaPorte's main issue is with the Florida Forest Service, which issues burn permits based partly on wind direction. A Forest Service map shows how sugarcane growing areas are divided. LaPorte lives in Zone 5, where burning is allowed with any wind direction.
The same applies to Zone 6 to the north. However, in the high-population areas of Martin, Palm Beach, and Broward counties—Zones 1, 2, and 4—state rules show burning does depend on wind direction.
"They're the ones that protect the other coast. They can protect us as well. They're just not doing it," LaPorte added.
WINK News anchor Lois Thome tried several times to talk with the Florida Forest Service about the issue. She kept getting passed around and ended up at the Florida Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service.
She left messages and WINK News sent emails regarding the burns. No one responded. Requests to interview Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson also fell on deaf ears.
"This is seven days a week. It doesn't matter if it's Christmas, you know, Thanksgiving Day, they're burning," LaPorte said.
Ash from sugarcane burning that collected in a boat
LaPorte and his neighbors would like to receive alerts when burns occur. They told WINK that change could make all the difference in their quality of life.
"They can simply coordinate this map with your location with your phone. If you're located near one of these plumes, you should be able to get a notice on your phone," LaPorte explained.
A public records request WINK News submitted in March for complaints related to burning has not yet been filled. Getting someone to listen to, respond to, or address community concerns has been frustrating for LaPorte.
Shane Strause, general manager of River Forest Marina, joined the others to share concerns. The marina, next door to the community, sees similar impacts from the falling ash.
"It collects in the corner. Everything in the boat turns spotty black over a period of time," Strause said.
The ash gets transferred to boats when workers walk down the docks. People describe the consistency of the ash as baby powder mixed with oil, meaning it often sticks and is tough to clean.
Florida Sugarcane Farmers said managing farmlands through prescribed fire:
helps prevent wildfires
ensures worker safety
promotes regenerative farming practices
Florida Forest Service approves the burn permits
"There are times when you come out in the morning and you go, it's already started. You go, 'Well, I guess I'm going to work on inside projects today,'" one neighbor said.
If it looks like the burns will have a direct impact on communities, residents would like the Forest Service to deny the permit for that day. They'd also like to get the same considerations as people who live on the East Coast.
"If our next-door neighbor treated us the same way, we'd be very upset about it, and they are our neighbors. They should have a little respect for us as well," one resident said.
Green harvesting is an alternative already in use in Florida. Machines cut the cane, leaving the debris behind. It reduces smoke and ash but is also costly and more complex. WINK News asked Florida Sugarcane Farmers several times about green harvesting practices.
The group responded with information on air quality studies, but never addressed the use of green harvesting. Florida Sugarcane Farmers noted that prescribed pre-harvest burns are heavily monitored and permitted on a field-by-field basis from the Florida Division of Forestry.
Elected state leaders representing Glades County never responded to requests for comment.
Information provided by Florida Sugarcane Farmers:
Key data points on air quality:
In 2025, Tuskegee and Florida A&M University announced the results of a year-long study into air quality.
The survey was conducted from April through September of 2024, including time during and after the harvest within the study period.
Air quality in the region remained within the EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) throughout the study, including during the burn season.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels peaked in May, but researchers attributed that increase to Saharan dust and unrelated fires, not sugarcane burning.
Other contributors to PM 2.5 -- like vehicle exhaust, road dust, mold spores, pollen and Saharan dust – had a more significant impact
While pre-harvest burning did generate PM 2.5 particles, those increases were small and localized, representing only 1% of total particulate matter found under a lab microscope.
According to the American Lung Association, Palm Beach County received an “A” for air quality in the 2025 State of the Air Report.
In its 2025 County Health Rankings, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation also found that Palm Beach County measured a 7.3 for particulate matter, which was well below the state average of 7.9.
All sugarcane burns are authorized and permitted through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida Forest Service.
WINK News reached out to:
To report sugarcane ash/smoke, call the Florida Forest Service at (893) 467-3221.