Glades County residents fed up with black ash from sugarcane burns

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. 

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. 

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: