CLAY COUNTY – While the cause of the Southern California wildfires remains unknown, the unprecedented scope of their destruction has thrust prevention into the forefront of the collective consciousness. A new Ask IFAS document describes one of the most effective fire prevention tools available to Floridians: prescribed fire.

Florida’s ecosystems depend highly on recurrent fires, and many landowners rely on prescribed fire to manage their property. The document highlights resources for private landowners, including educational websites, training opportunities and a database of forest management-related service providers.

“Fires can be safely used to manage many of our natural areas, improving the health of our lands and reducing the probability of costly, catastrophic wildfires,” said document author Raelene Crandall, UF/IFAS assistant professor of fire ecology. The document – a collaborative effort between UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences researchers and natural resources Extension agents, as well as regional and state fire officials – arrives as Floridians prepare to observe Prescribed Fire Awareness Week, starting Jan. 26. The annual event highlights the importance and benefits of prescribed fire.

Every year, Florida conducts prescribed burns on more than two million acres, especially at Camp Blanding – more than any other state. Most occur between December and March when temperatures are cool, and winds are most predictable.

In addition to clearing excessive vegetation that can contribute to the spread of wildfire, the practice helps maintain forest structure by reducing shrub growth and recruitment of trees into the overstory, the uppermost foliage layer, Crandall said. Prescribed fires minimize tree canopy, letting in more light, which increases plant diversity and attracts more plants and animals.

Crandall’s Ask IFAS document is extensive, so she recommends private landowners new to prescribed burning start by reaching out to the Florida Forest Service, the regulatory authority for all wildland fires in the state, and by exploring the website for the Southern Fire Exchange, a regional program connecting fire and natural resource managers with timely, science-based information.

“I hope this publication helps landowners find the resources that will most benefit them and increase the acreage of safe and effective prescribed fires on the ground,” she said.

Additional information about prescribed fire is available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Flatwoods Fire and Nature Festival in Gainesville. Hosted by UF/IFAS at the Austin Cary Forest campus, 10625 NE Waldo Road, the event will feature prescribed fire vendors and professionals conducting demonstrations.