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WUFT | News and public media for north central Florida

Prescribed burns and their benefits to the environment

By Maia Labbe

December 19, 2025 at 11:50 AM EST

You’ve likely heard the expression "sometimes you have to fight fire with fire."

That really is the idea behind prescribed burns, and they’re more important than most people appreciate, according to Raelene Crandall. She teaches Fire Ecology at the University of Florida.

She recently gave a presentation on the history of prescribed burns in Florida. WUFT’s Maia Labbe asked her about their benefits.