Controlled burn at Jonathan Dickinson SP, FL

[GMandJM]

In case anyone is interested, here a few photos of the prescribed fire/controlled burn today (7 April 2015) at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Hobe Sound, FL:


View from the Hobe Mountain Observation Tower


GHalf on fire watch (does he seem to be looking the wrong way?)


Some of the many fire control personnel

View down the railroad tracks

I don't like to see the vegetation burn, but I guess it's gotta be done.

The fire didn't go near either of the campgrounds and it looks like the ponies were moved in advance of the fire (at least I HOPE they were).

Apologies for not re-sizing the photos. Please do not hit "quote" if you reply.

-jHalf

[GMandJM]

Wow - thanks for volunteering, you guys. The volunteers really do keep the state park system running well.

It's kinda cool to watch the prescribed fires/controlled burns. They are doing another burn here today. Tons (literally) of people are up on the observation tower.

Exciting place lately: Big fires here and at a refinery in Stuart recently. And a boat load of refugees from Haiti showed up in Jupiter yesterday.

There was also a supposed sighting of a bobcat eating a shark on a beach in Jupiter, but that could be a hoax. (It was also reported to have happened at Sebastian Inlet).

[edatlanta]

The fires don't hurt the pine trees or the palmetto plants. It just gives them a nice black look. I too volunteer in Florida and have seen these burns many times.

[JJnLilly]

Burns are a necessary part of park maintenance. By using 'controlled' or 'prescribed' burns the park can control the area to be cleared as opposed to a lightening strike that can result in a very uncontrolled burn. We volunteered in Florida SP's for a number of years and became acquainted with fires of this nature.