Successful Prescribed Burn Completed at Garcon Point WMA

CONTACT: NWFWMD Public Information Office (850) 539-5999
Tyler Macmillan, NWFWMD Bureau Chief, Land Management Operations (850) 539-2633

Successful Prescribed Burn Completed at Garcon Point WMA

MILTON – The Northwest Florida Water Management District conducted a successful prescribed burn on 2,045 acres at the southern portion of the Garcon Point peninsula on March 25. Assisting the District were staff from Eglin Air Force Base, the Florida Park Service, the Longleaf Alliance, the National Park Service and Westervelt Ecological Services. The Munson, Avalon and Bagdad volunteer fire departments also provided support and standby fire engines.

As with any prescribed burn, weather conditions were carefully evaluated by the District’s trained burn managers, as well as the Florida Forest Service, who issued the District an authorization to conduct the burn.

“Although Red-Flag weather conditions are not appropriate for backyard burning, the weather proved to be beneficial for this particular burn. The wind kept the smoke off the highway and out of the neighborhoods to the west and allowed the burn to be completed before mid-afternoon,” said Steve Brown, District Senior Lands Manager. “A lot of planning, preparation, and coordination with other agencies and permitting authorities go into a burn of this magnitude, and we thank our burning partners for their assistance”

Three groups of certified burn crews worked simultaneously to conduct the large magnitude burn. Crews started the burn at 10:00 a.m. along the eastern side of Avalon Boulevard at the Garcon Point Bridge., and the flames and smoke were pushed to the southeast and away from the roadway by a steady northwest wind.

“This was a textbook large-scale prescribed burn using a combination of ground and aerial ignition. Thanks to weather conditions and the cooperation of our large crew of highly trained professional burners, the burn was completed without a hitch,” said Brown.

A second crew ignited the northeastern portion of the burn area, where the Garcon Point property boundary meets Blackwater Bay. A third crew began operations in the middle of the burn area, about 1.5 miles north of the Garcon Point Bridge. A helicopter was used to help ignite the interior of the burn unit.

The burn was successfully completed around 2:00 p.m.

The Garcon Point Water Management Area consists of 3,245 acres on the Garcon Point peninsula between Escambia and Blackwater bays. The peninsula is home to extensive wiregrass and other highly flammable plant species, which can fuel frequent wildfires in the area. Prescribed burning reduces the grassy fuels, providing a measure of protection against wildfires.