Florida has Record-Setting Year for Applying Prescribed Fire

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the Florida Forest Service’s recording-setting year of applying prescribed fire during the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The agency set a new annual record with 277,818 total acres treated for the year on State Forests. Prescribed fire reduces hazardous fuel buildups and the chances of catastrophic wildfires.

“Prescribed fire is one of the best and most reliable tools we have to combat the dangers of wildfires in our state,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “We more than doubled last year’s prescribed fire total, confirming our agency’s commitment to protecting Florida’s homes, businesses, and natural resources in wildfire-prone areas.”

In the past fiscal year – which ran from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024 – the Florida Forest Service more than doubled last year’s prescribed fire total of 131,628 acres treated, and it surpassed the previous annual record of 246,104 acres from 2014-2015.

“I’m proud to say the Florida Forest Service has surpassed 200,000 acres prescribed burned in three of the past six years,” said Florida Forest Service Director Rick Dolan. “We also exceeded our annual goal of 266,059 acres entering the fiscal year.”

Additionally, the Florida Forest Service set a new monthly record for prescribed fire this year, totaling 94,087 acres in February.

In addition to mitigating catastrophic wildfires, prescribed fire also supports disease control in young forests, wildlife habitat improvement, range management, preservation of endangered plant and animal species, and the maintenance of fire-dependent ecosystems.

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 of wildfire.

For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.

###

Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement Arrests Suspected Arsonist in Connection with Santa Rosa County Wildfire

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement has arrested Tyler Stephen Meldrim, 23, in connection with a wildfire that occurred on April 27, 2024, in Santa Rosa County. Meldrim has been charged with one count of Intentional Burning of Lands under Florida Statute 590.28, a third-degree felony.

“I want to thank local emergency services and the Florida Forest Service for their swift response to this fire and for preventing a much, much worse outcome. I also want to commend the quick and thorough investigation by the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement to apprehend the individual responsible for this dangerous act, and possibly other recent intentionally set fires in the area,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson. “We remain committed to protecting Florida’s natural resources and ensuring that those who threaten our communities with such reckless actions are held accountable.”

On April 27, 2024, at approximately 12:05 p.m., a fire was reported to Santa Rosa County emergency services. The Bagdad Fire Department, Avalon Volunteer Fire Department, and the Florida Forest Service responded to the fire near 2640 Garcon Point Rd., Milton, FL. The fire consumed approximately one acre of woodland managed by water management authorities. Fortunately, due to the prompt response from local fire departments and the Florida Forest Service, the fire was contained before causing more extensive damage.

Upon arrival, emergency personnel observed a suspicious individual later identified as Tyler Stephen Meldrim, who was wearing a Berrydale Volunteer Fire Department t-shirt despite no longer being associated with any fire department. Initial reports from the scene indicated that Meldrim was wandering around the fire site and had to be asked to move his vehicle to allow fire department access to the scene.

Emergency personnel noted that Meldrim’s vehicle, a maroon four-door Nissan Sentra, matched the description of a car seen at several other recent fires in the northern part of the county. When questioned by law enforcement at the scene, Meldrim initially claimed he was merely passing by and noticed the fire.

Eyewitnesses later recalled that, prior to the fire being reported to emergency services, they observed a maroon car parked on the side of the road and a suspicious individual coming out of the woods around the area the fire originated. Eyewitnesses later observed the same individual at the scene of the fire with his vehicle directing traffic and asking cars to slow down.

Further investigation by Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement investigators revealed inconsistencies in Meldrim’s previous statements to emergency response personnel on the day of the incident. On June 28, 2024, after being confronted with evidence and eyewitness accounts, Meldrim confessed to intentionally starting the fire by igniting dry pine straw with a lit cigarette and a lighter. Meldrim admitted that his motive was to rejoin a fire department by demonstrating his ability to assist in extinguishing the fire.

On July 10, 2024, Meldrim was arrested by the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement and booked into the Santra Rosa County Jail.

The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement conducts criminal investigations relating to any matter over which the department has jurisdiction, protects consumers from unfair and deceptive trade practices, protects Florida’s agriculture industry from theft and other crimes, and safeguards the integrity of Florida’s food and other consumer products. In support of its mission, the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement operates more than 20 agricultural interdiction stations around the state. Officers conduct vehicle inspections 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to protect Florida’s food supply and prevent the introduction and spread of agricultural pests and diseases.

For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.

###