Prescribed Fire



What is it? Prescribed burning is fire applied in a knowledgeable and skillful manner on a specific land area under selected weather conditions to accomplish well defined management objectives.

Why do we burn? Many of Florida’s native ecosystems require fire at some interval to remain healthy and intact. Prescribed burning substantially benefits wildlife by stimulating food and seed production and by creating openings for feeding and travel. By conducting these controlled burns, land managers are able to reduce the amount of dead vegetation or fuel which is available to feed wildfires. In this way prescribed burns help to reduce the number and the intensity of wildfires.

How does LCWA burn? A great deal of planning and preparation is required to conduct controlled burns. Burn managers develop a burn plan including all the factors which must be met in order to conduct a burn safely. The plan includes the number of trained personnel and the amount and type of equipment required. The burn manager notifies the local fire department and other public safety agencies. Finally, the burn manager must receive an authorization from the Florida Division of Forestry, the lead fire agency in the State of Florida.

Proposed Burns for the 2009 season:

Bear Track Preserve (Located northeast of Eustis, east of Lake Norris)

Flowing Waters Preserve (Located east of the Haynes Creek Canal, south of CR 44)

Scrub Point Preserve (Located on John’s Lake, south of SR 50 and Clermont)


For more information about Prescribed Fire please visit:

University of Central Florida's Prescribed Fire Page

Florida Division of Forestry Prescribed Fire Page

St. Johns River Water Management District's Fire Page