TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Conservation and Environmental Lands Management Department will be performing various prescribed burns on Friday at Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park and at Lower Green Swamp Preserve.
Although the HCC advised the fires are safe, it also listed precautions for people who live near the parks.
During the burn, HCC says to leave the windows and doors shut to keep smoke from entering your home. It recommends not leaving any clothing outside to dry because clothes might be filled with a smoky smell.
People in the area were urged to limit their outdoor activity or temporarily leave the area during and after the burn. This would be especially true for people with health-related issues that can be triggered by smoke, such as allergies, asthma and respiratory ailments.
The Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park will be used for firefighter training by the Florida Forest Service, but people can still expect all recreational trails to remain open.
Lower Green Swamp Preserve in Plant City will undergo prescribed burns to maintain the ecological site. The white trail at the grounds might be temporarily closed throughout the course of the burn.
The process of prescribed burning is meant to keep the ecosystem healthy and lower the chance of a wildfire.
"Fire promotes healthy ecosystems by clearing out competing vegetation, cycling nutrients into the soil, stimulating growth and seed production of fire-dependent plants and providing food for wildlife," the Hillsborough County website wrote.
Another benefit that comes from prescribed burning is that it lessens fuels like leaves, branches and dead plant debris that spread on the floor in the forest over time.
"Reducing fuels every few years helps reduce the intensity, heat, and destructive force of a wildfire if one occurs."
For more information about prescribed burns and how to stay safe, click here.
