Prescribed Burn Set for Longleaf Pine Preserve February 3.

Written Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

According to a release, with the favorable cooler weather conditions, Volusia County’s Land Management staff will conduct prescribed burns on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

A 30-acre burn is planned for Longleaf Pine Preserve, which is west of New Smyrna Beach. The burn will take place north of Pioneer Trail and west of State Road 415. There will be no impact on public trails.

Historically, nature provided all the tools needed to maintain healthy habitats of natural lands. With the advent of fire suppression, fragmentation due to development, exotic species, and user impacts, most natural lands are overgrown. Human intervention is now needed to provide the factors necessary for a healthy habitat.

To restore and maintain the diversity of the ecosystems, prescribed fire is one of the many tools Volusia County uses to manage conservation lands.

Prescribed fire has many benefits, such as eliminating dry and overgrown vegetation, reducing the risk of wildfires, increasing seeding, fruiting, and forage quality in plants, and improving wildlife habitats. 

While other land management treatments are sometimes used, prescribed fire is the most efficient, because of the complex chemical, biological and physical processes that fire stimulates. 

For more information about prescribed burns, visit volusia.org/prescribed-burning.