Possible Upcoming Prescribed Burns:

Nancy Payton Preserve: 1540 Blue Sage Drive, Naples, FL: TBD- July-August 2024 map 

Public Notice Announcements: 

What is Prescribed Fire? 
Prescribed fire, also known as controlled burning, refers to the controlled application of fire by a team of fire experts under specified weather conditions that help restore health to fire-adapted environments. The Conservation Collier Prescribed Burn Program has been conducting prescribed burns for the past 13 years, accomplished by certified staff members and interagency partners to maintain and enhance fire-dependent ecosystems within Collier County nature preserves.

The Conservation Collier Program currently manages 22 nature preserves throughout Collier County. Of these 22 preserves, prescribed burning is utilized as a management tool by certified staff on 12 properties across 4,175 acres. The use of prescribed fire on County preserves can reduce the threat of wildfire to the community, maintain habitat for fire dependent plant and animal species, and is the most cost-effective method for long-term land management and restoration in comparison to mechanical and chemical means.

History of Utilizing Controlled Fire to Manage Healthy Ecosystems

Fire has been an important component in shaping Florida landscapes for tens of thousands of years. Prior to human settlement, weather conditions and vegetative fuels determined the occurrence of fires throughout Florida ecosystems. Later, Native Americans utilized fire on the landscape to enhance the growth of herbs, berries, and grasses as well as to improve hunting and wildlife utilization. European settlers who arrived to the state in the 1500s noted the significant occurrence of fires and their ability to shape the vegetative communities across the landscape. In modern times, as land-use changes and population growth were introduced throughout the Country, fire suppression and prevention became the focus for protecting community property and infrastructure from wildfire. Today, our understanding of fire science and the dangers of fire suppression in communities with fire-dependent habitats has expanded. We now understand that controlled application of fire within the wildland-urban interface is an integral tool for protecting community property and infrastructure, while enhancing the quality of natural ecosystems. As a result, Florida is the leader in prescribed burning across the United States, with over 2.1 million acres of land burned through prescribed fires each year. 

 Benefits of Prescribed Burning:

Reduce Build-Up of Hazardous Fuels: Prescribed fire is a management tool used to reduce the buildup of excess or dense vegetation in a management unit that, if left unmanaged, can perpetuate intense fires and wildfire conditions. Prescribed fire is used to safely reduce excess brush, shrubs, and tree growth at regular intervals to enhance habitat for wildlife and build forest resiliency. Wildfires that occur in areas that have been previously managed with prescribed fire spread slower, burn with a lower intensity, and are easier to get under control by emergency suppression experts.

Manage Habitat for Fire-Dependent Species: Fire is an integral component of Florida's natural areas and ecosystems. Fire suppression and removal of natural fires from ecosystems within the County can lead to a number of challenges including: an increase in wildfire risk from excess vegetation growth, an unwanted transition of the plant community and wildlife the area supports, reduced species diversity, invasion of habitats by exotic species, alteration of regional hydrology, and reduction of habitat quality to support imperiled wildlife species.

Similar to the fire-adapted plant species in our area such as Florida slash pine and saw palmetto, wildlife in Collier County adapted to depend on fire in the landscape to maintain food resources, shelter, access to mates, and habitat to raise their young. Many local imperiled species rely on fire to maintain the habitat conditions in which they thrive. One example of a fire-dependent species found on Conservation Collier preserves is the Florida gopher tortoise, which relies on regular burn intervals to increase plant forage quality and availability and reduce vegetation density to enhance access to forage and mates. Another fire-dependent imperiled species is the Florida panther which relies on frequent burns to support prey populations of white-tailed deer, wild turkey, raccoon, and opossum across its home-range. A third fire-dependent imperiled species is the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker which has been observed in studies to vacate a forest stand that has not been maintained with fire as its forage and nesting conditions are no longer being met. Controlled application of fire is a tool used to manage and restore habitat to support our local wildlife species.

Photo: A prescribed burn conducted to enhance habitat for Florida gopher tortoise. The 1 day post burn photo (left) shows a Florida gopher tortoise burrow following a controlled burn, the 60 days post burn (right) shows the same burrow with nutritious forage and increased plant diversity.

Safeguard the Wildland-Urban Interface: As the population of Collier County continues to grow and spread eastward, intensive development is expanding into regions that border wildlands and conservation areas. Prescribed fire is an important tool used to safeguard communities and ecosystems from catastrophic wildfire events. Conservation Collier works with neighbors residing within the wildland-urban interface to provide expertise and resources to learn about maintaining fire-resistant property, thus reducing the risk to properties surrounded by fire-dependent ecosystems.

Public Access and Preserve Aesthetics: Prescribed fire is applied by fire experts to fire management units within Conservation Collier preserves that are protected by defensible access trails known as firebreaks. Firebreaks are 8-10ft wide trails that help to control the intensity and application of fire, provide access for fire suppression equipment and crews and create public access trails for the community to explore and recreate within Conservation Collier Preserves. Many of the public use hiking trails that are favorite paths to explore for birdwatching, nature photography, running, and biking double as fire breaks for prescribed burns. Prescribed burns applied by fire experts also contribute to enhanced blooms of trailside wildflowers, open up areas for sweeping vista views, and increase wildlife utilization across the landscape, thus improving visitor experience and increasing wildlife sightings along the trail. Many of your favorite Conservation Collier Preserve trails have been shaped and enhanced by the methodical application of controlled fire to the landscape, through which miles of your favorite hiking, biking, and equestrian trails meander. 

Frequently Asked Questions: 

Why do local agencies conduct prescribed burns?: 

Prescribed burning is the controlled application of fire by a team of experts under specified weather conditions to restore health to natural ecosystems that depend on fire. Wildlands within Collier County are fire-dependent and rely on regular application of prescribed fire to maintain and enhance the species composition of plants and wildlife within plant communities. Studies show that when applied in the right conditions, prescribed burns: reduce hazardous fuels to protect communities on the urban-wildland interface from wildfires, reduce the spread of pests and invasive species, improve forage for wildlife species, maintain habitat for threatened and endangered species, recycle nutrients into the soil, and promote the growth of wildflowers, shrubs, and trees to increase biodiversity. 

What is the procedure when a prescribed burn is conducted on Conservation Collier preserve land? 

Controlled burns are conducted by Conservation Collier fire experts and interagency partners on County preserves throughout the year, with an emphasis on growing season burns in the spring and summer. Weeks and sometimes months prior to conducting a prescribed burn, county staff notify agency leaders, mail notification letters to neighbors of the preserve, publish a public notice of the anticipated burn window, post notice of the burn on the Conservation Collier website and social media pages, and notify authorizing agents from the Florida Forest Service, Fire Departments, and Sheriffs Office.

On the morning of a planned burn, anticipated weather conditions are monitored closely for compliance with the burn prescription, interagency prescribed burn partners are on standby to participate and assist, a burn authorization is acquired from the Florida Forest Service, an authorization notice is provided to County officials and the prescribed burn is carried out between 9am-5pm within the designated fire management unit. In the days following the prescribed burn event, fire crews remain on-site to monitor the unit, reduce any residual sources of smoke, and continue post-burn mop up activities. 2-4 weeks following a prescribed burn, new growth of fire-adapted plant species is observed and the benefits of the fire to the habitat begin to show.  

Where can I go to check if smoke I am seeing is from an authorized, controlled burn?

If you are a Collier County resident- Call 311 for information 

The Florida Forest Service is the state agency that oversees prescribed burn authorizations, wildfire response and provides an online tool for members of the community to see an interactive map of all active wildfires, planned prescribed burns, open burn authorizations across the State of Florida daily. You can access the Florida Forest Service's Fire Management Information Mapping System here to locate the map showing any existing fire activity in your area. 

If you have additional questions, the local Florida Forest Service District 17 contact number is: 239-690-8000 Caloosahatchee District Contact Information

Where can I find more information about how to safe-guard my property from wildfires and follow fire-wise recommendations?

Educational resources for safeguarding your property and complying with national FireWise recommendations can be found at this site provided by the Florida Forest Service: Click Here to Learn About FireWise Practices for your Home and Property

Where can I learn more about controlled burns in our region?

The Florida Forest Service maintains a website with information about prescribed fire in our region and the benefits of prescribed burns to Florida ecosystems and communities. Click Here to Learn More About Controlled Burning in our Region

Do you have additional questions about prescribed fire
for the Conservation Collier Program?
Contact Us: 
Phone: 239-252-2961
Email: ConservationCollier@CollierCountyFL.gov