Pensacola Times

The Natural Resources Conservation Division is preparing for a prescribed burn in the Jones Swamp Wetland Preserve.  Staff anticipates conducting burn activities Friday, Jan. 27, weather permitting. The area for the proposed burn is approximately 28 acres and located south of Highway 98, west of Fairfield Drive, north of Gulf Beach Highway, and east of Blue Angel Parkway. A Florida Certified Prescribed Burn Manager on staff will oversee the burn with assistance from the Florida Forest Service.

Winter is an ideal time for prescribed burns, where land managers intentionally set small, low-intensity fires that mimic natural fires caused by lighting. Prescribed burns keep the understory open to allow grasses and other small plants to dominate the landscape. Ash keeps the soil fertile and encourages new plant growth in the spring. By reducing fuel loads and keeping the understory clear, land managers reduce the chances of a larger, more dangerous wildfire.

For more information about the Jones Swamp Wetland Preserve and the proposed prescribed burn, please call 850-595-3496 or 

850-840-9089.

Successful prescribed burn at Jones Swamp Wetland Preserve in January 2022. Picture courtesy of Samantha Bolduc.

Original source can be found here.