Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam and the Florida Forest Service today announced the release of “FLBurnTools,” a new mobile app to inform the public about drought, wildfire danger and wildfire activity. Prescribed burn practitioners can also use the app to plan and submit authorization requests. The “FLBurnTools” app is now available in both Apple’s App Store and on Google Play.
“By providing Floridians with better access to the latest wildfire information, we can help protect people, wildlife and property,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “Residents can now see real-time conditions in their area and take the appropriate safety precautions.”
The Florida Forest Service’s prescribed fire program is a nationwide leader, treating more than 2.1 million acres last year and providing approximately 88,000 burn authorizations annually. In addition to administering Florida’s prescribed fire program, the Florida Forest Service responds to wildfires during Florida’s year-round wildfire season. Last year, more than 2,100 wildfires burned 53,476 acres in Florida.
The “FLBurnTools” app provides the following tools:
- Drought information
- Interactive fire maps
- Wildfire information
- Burning authorization requests
- Smoke dispersion models
- Spot weather forecasts
“Wildfire activity is on the rise and wildfire danger is expected to increase greatly in the coming months,” said Jim Karels, Florida State Forester. “Floridians equipped with the ‘FLBurnTools’ app can view the locations of nearby wildfires and see up-to-date drought and wildfire danger information.”
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 on more than 26 million acres. Learn more at FloridaForestService.com.
For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.
