Escambia County's Natural Resources Conservation Division will conduct a prescribed burn in the Jones Swamp Wetland Preserve today, Monday, Nov. 3, starting at 10 a.m.
The area for the proposed burn is located south of Highway 98, west of Fairfield Drive, north of Gulf Beach Highway, and east of Blue Angel Parkway and is approximately 74 acres. A Florida Certified Prescribed Burn Manager will oversee the burn with assistance from the Florida Forest Service. All burn activities are weather dependent.
Fall and winter seasons are ideal times 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 850-494-7593.
