Partnerships assist in reaching prescribed fire goals in south Florida parks

Helicopter flies over the East Hinson Prescribed Fire on Big Cypress National Preserve.

NPS/M GUE

Crews from the National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Seminole Tribe of Florida, Florida Forest Service, and the US Forest Service came together to complete two prescribed fire projects in June 2022. The fires, East Hinson prescribed fire and Northeast prescribed fire, were funded for $34,400.00. A portion of both fires used Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, which was instrumental in the success of the prescribed burns. Other funding was provided through Disaster Relief, also called DR-311.

The East Hinson prescribed fire took place in the northwest portion of Big Cypress National Preserve and burned 5,220 acres. The 8,814-acre Northeast prescribed fire was conducted in the northeast portion of Everglades National Park.

Firefighters working on the Northeast Prescribed Fire in 2022.

NPS/M GUE

Due to its proximity to Interstate 75 and State Road 29, the East Hinson unit is a high complexity burn unit requiring very specific wind direction and weather parameters for a successful burn. The ignition of the East Hinson prescribed fire was a milestone for Big Cypress National Preserve. It is the first complex burn initiated within the park since the redesign of the fire program, encouraging a landscape level approach to burning within the preserve.

Prescribed fire manager, Michael Gue noted that both prescribed fires served the purpose to minimize the potential for a catastrophic wildfire, protect critical habitat for threatened and endangered species, as well as reduce risk around private and public infrastructure.

Partnerships that have been developed over time through agreements were vital to the prescribed fires. “We couldn’t have completed these projects without the assistance from our partners. Interagency agreements that we have for South Florida Fire and Aviation enabled us to bring in the necessary resources to accomplish the projects, and we appreciate their teamwork to get the job done,” Gue said.