UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Science along with several co-sponsors including the Florida Forest Service will mark the end of Prescribed Fire Awareness Week with a free fire festival for the public on Saturday, Feb. 1.

The 2025 Flatwoods Fire and Nature Festival will feature prescribed fire and equipment demonstrations, educational tours, native wildlife, exhibitors from over 30 different agencies and organizations, and food and music. The event is held at UF’s Austin Cary Forest Campus.

The Flatwoods Fire and Nature Festival begins at 10 a.m. at 10625 NE Waldo Rd. with prescribed burn demonstrations at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

“There will be exhibits, equipment demonstrations, burn demonstrations, as well as plenty of food trucks and live music,” said Ludie Bond, Florida Forest Service spokesperson. “The prescribed burns will be a big hit, and prescribed fire mascot Burner Bob the Bobwhite Quail will be there.”

The event occurs every other year and helps put the spotlight on Florida’s forest habits and emphasizes the benefits of prescribed fire in managing healthy ecosystems and reducing the risk of wildfire.

“We are the lightning capital of our country, so it makes sense that many of our plant and animal communities are fire-dependent,” said Bond. “We want to invite people out, who may not be used to prescribed fires, may not know much about it, and just really provide them with that educational opportunity.”

Florida ranks among the highest in the United States for the use of prescribed fire, often being considered the leader in its application, according to Bond. The state utilizes prescribed fire as an essential tool for land management, particularly for maintaining ecosystems like pine forests and wetlands, which are fire-adapted and rely on periodic burns to maintain their health and biodiversity.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) and the U.S. Fire Administration, Florida regularly burns millions of acres annually. In fact, the state typically accounts for more than 30 percent of the total prescribed fire acreage in the country. Other states with significant use of prescribed fire include Alabama, Georgia, and Texas. However, Florida’s relatively large area of fire-adapted landscapes, combined with its commitment to fire management, gives it a top spot in this regard.