The Experience

The rainy season is on us with over ten inches of rain so far this month. This has made photography challenging but I did capture images this week that I was happy with. Early in the week I was somewhat surprised to find a large brushfire in the Long Pine Key area. I am not sure if this was due to a lightning strike or was set up as a controlled burn. However after seeing how well it was contained I am thinking it was probably a controlled burn. Fire is a very important aspect of the pineland ecosystem. Regular fires keep the ground cover thin and prevent hardwoods from taking over the pineland areas. If fires are suppressed for long periods of time fuel builds up and this can result in very hot fires that reach high into the trees often killing the pines. As you can see in these images the fire I was able to photograph was rather low and not reaching the pine canopy while it did burn ground cover and a few small hardwoods. I hope you enjoy.

The Photos