Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson is commending the Florida Forest Service (FFS) and its firefighters with the Blackwater Forestry Center for their quick work of a wildfire that occurred March 28, 2024, on Garcon Point. The mitigation efforts prior to this wildfire – which were funded by the 2022 Emergency Wildfire Management Fund – largely attributed to the containment of the fire, prevented home destruction, and saved lives.
“We avoided a catastrophic disaster because of the hard work and forward thinking from our Florida Forest Service professionals and the critical resources made available from the Emergency Wildfire Management Fund,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “Equipping our fire crews with resources that allow them to clean up from prior disasters and for preventing future ones will protect the people and property across our state.”
The mitigation project consisted of mulching 77 acres of vegetation that serves as fuel for wildfires along a 7-mile line on Garcon Point, one of Santa Rosa County’s most critical fire danger areas.
The wildfire was caused by embers from a nearby structure fire blowing into thick, overgrown vegetation on a day with extremely low humidity and 10-15 mph north winds. While the initial structure could not be saved by local fire departments, FFS crews saved two homes directly adjacent to wildfire and dozens more were potentially spared as the fire reached the mitigation line and stopped all forward progress and limited the spread to just 3 acres.
Firefighters on scene said a with a “conservative” estimate, the fire easily would’ve reached 20 acres by the time they arrived if not for the line. With the weather conditions as well as soft, muddy terrain that makes bulldozer work difficult at best, the fire certainly had the potential to impact a significant number of homes that were just half a mile down wind.
The most recent major fires on the Garcon Point peninsula – Oyster Bay and Five Mile Swamp – topped 200 acres and 2,600 acres respectively with the Five Mile Swamp Fire destroying more than a dozen homes. The Malibu Avenue Fire had every bit of the same promise.
“It had everything it needed to become a major fire,” said Santa Rosa County Forest Area Supervisor Shannon Bowman. “The wind, the humidity, in that area, it had the potential to really grow until it hit that line and the head of the fire went out.”
Florida Forest Service Director Rick Dolan said, “I’m proud of the Florida Forest Service team. The resources and investment by the Florida Legislature, Commissioner Simpson, and Governor DeSantis have helped us protect lives and property in Florida.”
Emergency Wildfire Management Fund
In 2022, the Florida Legislature allocated $93 million to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for fire mitigation through the Florida Forest Service to enhance clean up efforts from prior disasters and for future disasters to prevent severity of destruction and to save lives. In just two years, the funds have provided protection for nearly 27,000 homes across Florida and produced 1,165 miles of mitigation line that covers nearly 10,000 acres.
Florida Forest Service
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland, and natural resources from the devastating effects wildfire on more than 26 million acres. Learn more at FDACS.gov/FLForestService.
For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.
