The Southwest Florida Water Management District plans to burn about 300 acres of overgrown vegetation in northeastern Hillsborough County through December. The prescribed burns at the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve are intended to reduce wildfire risk by clearing accumulated vegetation.

The preserve sits south of Cross Creek Boulevard between U.S. 301 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard near Thonotosassa, according to the district's Oct. 1 announcement. Burns will take place in small, manageable units rather than across all 300 acres at once.

Residents in surrounding communities may see smoke on burn days. District land managers schedule prescribed fires based on conditions including wind, temperature and humidity to safely control the burns and limit smoke impacts.

The burns are part of a broader SWFWMD program that covers roughly 35,000 acres each year across the district's management area.

Why the district burns

Suppressing fire over time allows vegetation to accumulate, increasing the amount of fuel available for wildfires. Prescribed burns remove some of that vegetation under controlled conditions, reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires, according to SWFWMD.

The district said prescribed fire also promotes new and diverse plant growth, maintains wildlife habitat and helps keep conservation lands accessible for recreation.

The risk of uncontrolled fire has been evident locally this year. In April, Pasco County Fire Rescue and the Florida Forest Service responded to a roughly 90-acre brush fire at Starkey Wilderness Park. The fire reached 90% containment April 10.

Pasco preserves on the burn list too

SWFWMD also announced prescribed burns through December at four Pasco County preserves:

• Starkey Wilderness Preserve (east of New Port Richey, west of the Suncoast Parkway): about 500 acres
• Conner Preserve (south of State Road 52, west of Ehren Cutoff): about 450 acres
• Cypress Creek Preserve (east of Ehren Cutoff, about one mile south of State Road 52): about 150 acres
• Upper Hillsborough Preserve (east of Zephyrhills, south of County Road 54): about 300 acres

Pasco County Fire Rescue flagged the burns on X on Oct. 1, noting that the district planned prescribed burns at four Pasco County locations through December.

How to get alerts

SWFWMD sends email and text alerts before scheduled prescribed burns to people who sign up through its website. The notices include the location, date and number of acres scheduled to be burned.

Residents can register for alerts through the district's prescribed-burn notification system.