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Smoke Filled Days As Burn Season Gets Busy

    Prescribed burns in the Lake Dorr area on Monday cast a smoky plume for miles above north and east Lake County.  The two burns, one on CR 445 north and east of the Shockley area, and east of the Kismet area and Kismet Road, covered several hundred acres, with over 1,000 acres treated as part of the overall burn plan in the area.
    Clear skies on Monday made for a striking aerial scene, casting a gray line that ran south due to prevailing winds.  The plum reached into eastern Lake County before dissipating later in the day.
    Officials with the U.S. Forest Service said the burns could result in some roads in the immediate areas being closed for several days, and on Tuesday afternoon a smoky haze descended over Umatilla as winds pushed smoke south for a second day.
    The burns follow recent activity in the Salt Springs area, where  and estimated 800 acres were undertaken on January 14 along the western shores of the Salt Springs River.  On January 13
    Prescribed burning is a prime way for the Forest Service to reduce ground-level fuel that could feed wildfires.  Additionally, some forest dwellers, including scrub jays, thrive in recently burned areas so the activity can be doubly beneficial.  Annually, several thousand acres of the Ocala National Forest are slated for prescribed burning treatment, with officials historically reporting burning during the early months of the year can help reduce risks associated with unwanted fires that can spawn in the early spring and summer if seasonal hot temperatures and dry conditions can greatly increase fire risk.