Prescribed fire is a tool land managers use to reduce hazardous fuel buildups.

BROOKSVILLE – The Florida Forest Service plans to conduct a 2,200-acre prescribed fire today (March 8) on the Richloam Tract of the Withlacoochee Forest, pending appropriate weather conditions.

This prescribed fire will be conducted using aerial ignition by a Florida Forest Service helicopter crew as well as by ground crews.

The burn area will be two miles south of State Road 50, adjacent to the Van  Fleet Trail and north of Baird Grade.

Prescribed fire is one of the most versatile and cost-effective tools land managers use, according to state forest officials. It is used to reduce hazardous fuel buildups, thus providing increased protection to people, their homes and the forest. For information on the benefits of prescribed fire, go to goodfires.org.

Some precautions you can take if you encounter smoke:

• Bring your pets inside
• Close windows to prevent drift smoke from entering your home
• Store lawn furniture in the garage to keep it clean
• Remove laundry from clothes lines
• Cover pools and hot tubs
• Stay indoors if you have respiratory problems
• Slow down if you encounter smoke on the road

Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than one million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests.

The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres. For information, go to FloridaForestService.com.

Withlacoochee Forest | Prescribed Burn | Prescribed Fire | Tampabay News

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