Prescribed burns to be considered in Sanibel; aims to protect against wildfires

Reporter: Sommer Senne
Published: Updated:

Sanibel aims to conduct a prescribed burn this year, a first since before Hurricane Ian. The effort is part of a broader goal for 2025.

The Sanibel Prescribed Fire Task Force has faced challenges, including weather conditions that have been either too wet or too dry.

Erin Myers, deputy project leader with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said that Hurricane Ian made it difficult to go forward with the burn.

“We have been planning to burn some places since after Hurricane Ian, but we get locked into it’s too wet, and then it gets too dry, so we’re constantly monitoring to try and take advantage of that,” said Myers.

Myers said the task force has encountered difficulties, such as wet ground preventing equipment from reaching necessary areas to clear fire lines.

“Because the ground is still wet, we also can’t get equipment out where we need to get equipment to clear fire lines,” said Myers.

Brian Pippin, assistant fire management officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said that prescribed burns are essential for habitat health and reducing wildfire risk.

“Aside from habitat health and mimicking fires, natural role in the ecosystem, prescribed burns will offer opportunities for hazardous fuel reduction, which will reduce the wildfire risk to the community,” said Pippin.

Concerns about wildfires, similar to those in Southern California, have prompted Sanibel Fire Chief Barbot to inform residents about future plans.

Deputy Fire Chief John DiMaria says the goal right now is to reassure the public.

“We have access to many different equipment, many different apparatuses, many different equipments that are out there,” DiMaria said. “We can get as many as much manpower out on this island as quickly as possible. We have an outstanding water supply here on the island with IWA, Every hydrant that we have going through the island currently has plenty of water. We’ll be able to efficiently take care of and mitigate any situation that would occur.

Part of reassuring the public also means emphasizing the need for preparation.

“We still have a lot of preparations too, before we put any fire on the ground,” said Myers.

Preparations include clearing downed trees on Sanibel-Captiva Road and readying a new brush truck.

Pippin said they want to affect the public as little as possible when it come to the prescribed burns.

To warn people of future prescribed burns, the City of Sanibel has a Smoke Sensitive List.

The list notifies people of prescribed burns that will happen within the next 24-48 hours.

People can get on this list by emailing joel.caouette@mysanibel.com or by calling 239-267-4726. 

“We want to have the least amount of impact on the public as we can while still minimizing the risk of wildfires and reintroducing fire back into those habitats,” said Pippin.

The Sanibel Fire and Rescue District’s role is to provide information on health and safety to the public.

When a prescribed burn eventually does happen on the island, the fire district encourages people to stay inside or leave the island for a day while the burn is occurring.

That way, there’s no medical emergency if someone has respiratory issues. 

The prescribed burns aim to benefit plants, wildlife, and the community. As part of Prescribed Fire Awareness Week in Florida, Sanibel will host pop-up exhibits throughout the island.

The first pop-up will be at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sunday.

People can ask the task force questions, learn more about prescribed burns and hear about the task force’s plans.

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