FL Forest Service - Goethe Prescribed Burn
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 20, 2020
Contact: Ludie Bond, (352) 258-6084
Twitter: @FLForestService & @FFS_Waccasassa
Goethe State Forest Plans 7,000 Acre Prescribed Burn
Gainesville, Fla. – The Florida Forest Service – Waccasassa Forestry Center is planning a prescribed burn on Goethe State Forest in Levy County beginning Tuesday, January 21 through Thursday, January 23 which will consist of up to 7,000 acres. The planned burn areas will be ignited by aerial ignition using a Florida Forest Service helicopter. The Tidewater and Apex Trailheads will be closed for the duration of the burn.
There will be road closures beginning Tuesday, January 21 at approximately 10am through Thursday, January 23. CR 336 will be closed from the intersection of SR 121 and CR 336 at Lebanon Station to the intersection of SR 40 and CR 336. Other road closures will be located on CR 337 at the entrances to Rainbow Lakes Estates which include SE 120th Street and SE 125th Lane. Only residential traffic will be allowed access the closed portions of CR 337 and will be required to show ID and proof of address to access their homes and property.
Smoke may impact CR 337, CR 336, SR 121, and US Hwy 19. Be advised Florida Highway Patrol and Levy County Sherriff’s Office will be monitoring these road conditions. If drivers encounter smoke, they are encouraged to reduce speeds. Forestry staff also encourages travelers to use caution when traveling in the area as heavy equipment and vehicles will be entering the roadways in the burn area. Firefighters may also be present on the roadways monitoring the progress of the fire.
The Florida Forest Service is reminding citizens and landowners that the benefits of prescribed fire in Florida are plentiful, and include:
- Providing improved forage for wildlife and livestock.
- Returning nutrients to the soil.
- Helping control certain plant diseases.
- Reducing the buildup of dry and flammable plant materials.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects wildfire on more than 26 million acres.
Learn more at FDACS.gov/FLForestService.