The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the rest of November and throughout December and January at a section of the District’s Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area, which includes Flatwoods Park and the Oak Ridge Equestrian area.
The property is located off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in the New Tampa area. Approximately 500 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.
The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District.
According to District Land Manager Kevin W. Love, burns are implemented to mimic natural fire cycles under a controlled situation. The object is to avoid uncontrolled wildfires and enhance the area’s natural conditions by maintaining the ecological and wildlife habitat values. Prescribed burns are only conducted when weather conditions allow the objectives to be met while minimizing impacts to the public.
Every effort will be made to ensure that smoke will not affect homes or highways. However, vehicle operators should exercise caution in case smoke does lead to reduced visibility on the area’s roads or highways.
To meet various water management needs, the District has acquired approximately 350,000 acres of environmentally sensitive and water resource related lands.