The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), in collaboration with the South Florida Water Management District, is planning a prescribed burn in the Moore Haven Marsh on Lake Okeechobee’s west side. This operation is scheduled for this week, depending on weather conditions. The Florida Forest Service will review and authorize all burn activities.
The planned burn area covers up to 28,000 acres, including 700 acres of cattail treated with herbicide in October 2024. It also encompasses adjacent vegetation such as green cattail, torpedograss, spikerush, willows, sawgrass, and other associated plant life.
To ensure public health and safety, the FWC intends to conduct the burn under wind and weather conditions that minimize smoke impact on nearby towns and roads. Access to navigational trails through the marsh and canals may be temporarily restricted during the burn for safety reasons. If adverse weather conditions arise, the prescribed burn will be rescheduled for a later date.
This prescribed burning is part of an integrated management approach for Lake Okeechobee, which is managed in partnership with the FWC, South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Prescribed burning serves as a safe method to apply natural processes that ensure ecosystem health while reducing wildfire risks. Such ecologically responsible burns help improve habitats for fish, wildlife, waterfowl, wading birds, the endangered Everglade snail kite, and other wildlife populations.
For further information about this initiative or prescribed fires in general, interested parties can email AquaticHabitat@MyFWC.com or visit MyFWC.com/WildlifeHabitats under “Habitat” then “Prescribed Fire” to learn more about how these burns benefit wildlife and people.
