Smoke season

Controlled burns are in the works for parks across the county.

With so much rain lately, the risk of wildfires may seem remote. Especially at county parks.

But the Florida Forest Service fears that is just what could happen. Saturation over the past two years has led to an overabundance of vegetation. Potentially, that could become fuel for wildfires during the dry season, which usually starts in mid- October.

So firefighters plan to conduct a series of preventative burns within the next month or two, targeting parks and natural areas adjacent to urban neighborhoods, aswell as around the Everglades.

“We’re just that much more susceptible to larger fires because of all the fuel,” said Scott Peterich, Forest Service

Forest Service to target excess vegetation in county parks

spokesman.“Whenthe temperature breaks, we’ll aggressively do a lot of burning.”

The “prescribed burns,” as they are technically called, also allow Florida’s native plants to regenerate and flourish without being attacked by invasive species, such as melaleuca and BrazilianPepper trees, he said.

Among the areas to see burns inPalm Beach County are The Acreage, Fox Trail, Jupiter Farms and Caloosa Park. Additionally, the county plans to conduct burns at Okeeheelee Park, west of West Palm Beach, and Riverbend Park in Jupiter.

In Broward County, preventative fires are tobe set in the Military Trail Natural Area in Deerfield Beach and Tradewinds Park and the Saw Palmetto Natural Area, both in Coconut Creek.

Mike Middlebrook, natural resources specialist for the county parks, saidMarkham Park in Sunrise and Fern Forest Nature Center also could see burns.

Eric Call, Palm Beach County’s parks and recreation director, said the county notifies nearby residents before the burns begin.

“If they see it, we want them to know it’s not a real wildfire,” he said.

Although most of South Florida has been drenched with more than 30 inches of rain since June 1, Peterich said hot temperatures over the summer turned much of the vegetation into kindling.

Before conducting prescribed burns, Forest Service firefighters dig ditches around a given area to prevent the fire from jumping. Then, using a torch that drips a mixture of gasoline and diesel fuel, they lay downparallel strips of fire— with the idea being to burn everything between them.

Usually, the Forest Service does the controlled burns in the far western reaches of Miami- Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, where residents rarely visit. But because of South Florida sprawl, some of the burns are done adjacent to major highways, subdivisions and even schools, Peterich said.

“There’s so much resistance [ to prescribed fires] in highly urbanized areas; they don’t want the burning,” he said. “But if you don’t do it, it’s going to burn anyway.”