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State Forest Service Schedules Burn in Wesley Chapel Area

Fire | Blaze | Firefighter

The prescribed burn is designed to reduce wildfires.

WESLEY CHAPEL – The Florida Forest Service (FFS), Withlacoochee Forestry Center, will be conducting a prescribed fire this week (beginning Monday, March 28), weather permitting.

A prescribed fire is one of the most versatile and cost-effective tools land managers use. Prescribed fire is used to reduce hazardous fuel buildups, thus providing increased protection to people and their homes. This week’s burn will take place on 485 acres south of Highway 54  between Foxridge Boulevard and Loury Drive in Pasco County.

“We want residents to slow down if they encounter smoke on the roads around the Wesley Chapel area,” said Brian Prill. FFS Forest Area Supervisor “We are assisting a private landowner in reducing the wildfire risk on a 485-acre parcel.”

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.

The FFS conducts wildfire hazard reduction treatments on private property if the landowner does not object, and the area is reasonably determined to be a wildfire hazard area by the FFS. Treatment methods used for wildfire hazard mitigation can be either the application of prescribed burning or other alternative fuel treatment methods to reduce vegetative fuels as a hazard.

For information about the Florida Forest Service, go to freshfromflorida.com.

Pasco County | Wesley Chapel | Florida Forest Service | Withlacoochee | TB Reporter

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