Naples Botanical Garden got burned Monday. But it wasn't a case of arson since it was self-inflicted and deliberate.
The prescribed burn conducted by the Garden for several hours on approximately two acres of its Preserve area was carried out as a way to help fend off a possible future wildfire.
"We did a prescribed burn on about a two acre area and a pine flat Woods ecosystem really long, unburned area, so it had a lot of fuel in it, and was definitely a wildfire risk," said Natural Resources Director Eric Foht, who oversees the management of the Garden’s 90-acre preserve. "This area hadn't seen a fire in a very long time. That means there was a lot of pine needles and sticks and pine cones all built up, and we call that a duff layer. And so this fire really cleared that out, and that means this area will be safer from a lightning or human caused wildfire in the future."
Carefully controlled fires like this one are an important public safety precaution because they reduce organic matter, such as the pine needles and fallen leaves Foht mentioned, that can fuel wildfires. Moreover, fire is critical for the health of Florida ecosystems. It encourages the growth of new plants and promotes seed sprouting, among other benefits.
"We're interested in, you know, plant conservation and prescribed fire is a great way to keep ecosystems healthy and protect those rare plants that are in these places," Foht said. "Lastly, I'd say we, we do it for wildlife, because these areas need to be opened up for new grasses and things to grow for animals like deer and gopher tortoises to be able to thrive in these upland systems."
The Garden began reintroducing fire to its natural areas in 2023, working with a certified burn manager, his staff, and land managers from neighboring conservation organizations.
Safety precautions include the creation of firebreaks to contain the blaze to its designated area, fire hoses staged throughout the area, and the removal of low-growing branches and vines to keep the fire from climbing into the canopy.
There are other challenges as well, Foht said, including: "... keeping the fire contained within the area we intend to burn, and managing the smoke for the least impacts to the neighborhood. Some of the ways we do that are we keep the unit small, so the area we're burning are small, usually less than, usually only a few acres, and we create fire breaks around the entire perimeter of the unit. A fire break is an area cleared of all vegetation, so it stops the fire. And then we lay fire hoses around the entire perimeter, which help us control the fire, but also help us extinguish the flames. Afterwards, we call that mopping up, and we do a complete mop up so there's nothing smoldering by the end of the day, you."
The Garden is open during normal hours, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (8 a.m. – 5 p.m. for members).
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