SWFWMD aims to reduce risk of wildfires by scheduling prescribed fires near Dunnellon, FL
Still shot from aerial video by SWFWMD of prescribed fire in the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve.
According to the Southwest Florida Water Management District (water district), setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, and for this reason, the water district conducts prescribed fires on approximately 30,000 acres each year.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during June through September, 2023, on the Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County. Approximately 250 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.
The Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve is located 2 miles east of Dunnellon, Florida and 7 miles northeast of the city of Hernando, Florida, bounded by County Road 484 on the north, State Road 200 on the southeast, and the Withlacoochee River on the southwest.
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.
See aerial footage from a prescribed fire, where water district land management staff members burned 320 acres in the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve: https://vimeo.com/425526377.