The University of Central Florida's Arboretum held a prescribed burn on campus on May 10th that will restore native Florida habitats.  The May burn was the first in a series of burns that will occur on UCF's campus.  The goal is to establish a natural burn regime in areas that need fire to maintain ecosystem diversity, to reduce hazardous fuel loads, and to provide a more aesthetically pleasing forested area.  UCF has partnered with outside organizations including the Nature Conservancy, Florida Division of Forestry, and Orange County Fire/Rescue to make the burn program a huge success.

Fire creates and maintains plant and animal habitats throughout the United States. There is no question that many ecosystems would not exist in the absence of fire.  Fire creates change, which is biologically necessary to maintain many healthy ecosystems.  Varying fire timing, frequency, and intensity produces differing resource responses that create the correct changes for habitats.    

Burn Status:  We are still waiting to burn unit two due to the weather conditions not meeting the burn prescription (click here to view map).  Residents of UCF and nearby communities are encouraged to check this website frequently for updates about future burns.