LIVE OAK, FLA., MAY 6, 2024 – The month of May is National Wildfire Awareness Month and the Suwannee River Water Management District (District) wants to remind residents of the dangers of wildfires, as well as how prescribed burns can lessen the potential for damaging wildfires.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, wildfires are becoming more prevalent – nationwide, between 1983 and 1992, wildfires burned an average of 2.7 million acres per year. The current 10-year average for acres burned across the U.S. has increased to 7.2 million acres per year.
And approximately 87 percent of wildfires are caused by humans each year.
While residents should take great care to ensure they have a plan in place should a wildfire occur, and work to ensure their activities do not cause wildfires, the District – working with local and state agencies – conducts prescribed burns to help facilitate overall ecological restoration by enhancing native upland and wetland vegetation and improving habitat for native wildlife. Prescribed fire is also used to reduce fuel levels in the forest to help lower the intensity of possible wildfires. Other benefits of controlled burns include plant disease control, soil nutrient restoration, and aesthetic improvement.
On average, the District burns approximately 10,000 acres each year, which is dependent on conditions and weather. Prescribed fires must be approved by the Florida Forest Service prior to any burn and rely on favorable conditions to be conducted. District prescribed burns are announced on the District’s website and via the Land Management notification system.
Prescribed fire helps decrease the likelihood of damaging wildfires.
The mission of the Suwannee River Water Management District is to protect and manage water resources using science-based solutions to support natural systems and the needs of the public. Headquartered in Live Oak, Florida, the District serves 15 surrounding north-central Florida counties.
For more information about the District, visit www.MySuwanneeRiver.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.
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