500 acres will be set on fire in east Manatee County through March. Here’s why.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District announced Monday it will start prescribed burns through March on the Edward W. Chance Reserve - Gilley Creek Tract in eastern Manatee County.
About 500 acres of Gilley Creek, located between State Road 62 and 64 east of County Road 675, will get burned in small units, a news release said.
The district said in the news release prescribed fires in controlled setting can reduce the risk of out-of-control wildfires, which Floridians saw with the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017.
Additional benefits detailed in the news release are as follows:
- Reducing overgrown plants, which decreases the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
- Promoting the growth of new, diverse plants.
- Maintaining the character and condition of wildlife habitat.
- Maintaining access for public recreation.
Gilley Creek is just 500 of the approximately 30,000 acres the district conducts prescribed fires on annually, the news release said.
Jason Dill
Bradenton Herald