Fire plays a crucial role in Myakka Park

Fire, caused by lightning, is one of the primary natural forces shaping Florida's ecosystems.

Indeed, from an ecological point of view, fire is a normal and often beneficial process. It is critical to the health of 78% of Myakka River State Park, where many natural communities rely on fire to maintain their plant composition and structure.

Importantly, these communities are home to flora and fauna that could not survive without fire, including imperiled species such as the gopher tortoise, crested caracara, and pine lily.

In Florida, natural wildfires historically burned seasonally, usually at low intensity. They meandered slowly across large areas, where rivers and wetlands eventually halted their spread.

Suppression of natural wildfires began in the 1930s, to protect forests for timber. As we celebrate National Wildfire Awareness Month, it is important to recognize the critical role that prescribed burns, which have safely reintroduced fire into our ecosystems, play in protecting our natural and human communities.

Unlike wildfires, prescribed fires are set intentionally. This crucial natural resource management tool is used by trained professionals who safely mimic natural fires caused by lightning. These burns benefit Florida's large number of imperiled plant and animal species, whose survival depends on periodic fires.

But prescribed burns also protect our human communities, as fire-dependent natural communities gradually accumulate flammable vegetation. Regular, smaller burns can reduce the intensity or even prevent wildfires by consuming “fuels” like pine needles, dead grass, fallen trees, and thick brush that would otherwise accumulate and potentially produce intense and destructive forest fires.

Although prescribed burns emit smoke, the net benefit is less smoke pollution overall.

Current climate trends, characterized by above-normal temperatures and varied precipitation forecasts, could exacerbate dry conditions in wildfire-prone areas like Florida. Research highlights that these climatic conditions are closely linked to increased risks of wildfires.

As encroaching development gradually restricts the park's ability to effectively use prescribed burns, the importance of supporting and maintaining undeveloped buffer zones around conserved lands is emphasized. Raising awareness of the importance of fire to ensure the health of our natural spaces, and our own, is essential.