Local

Prescribed burn planned for state park in Ocala

OCALA, Fla. — Almost 200 acres of a state park in Ocala will be burned to help decrease the potential for wildfire.
 
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway will conduct a prescribed burn on Thursday. Some 190 acres will be burned if weather permits.
 
State fire officials say prescribed burning mimics natural fire cycles to restore healthy forests and natural communities. They also help reduce undergrowth that accumulates over time.
 
Burned lands experience an increase in native wildflowers, birds and other wildlife.