Florida Forest Service Sends Crews to Battle Louisiana Wildfire

Randall Weiseman Florida, Forestry, General, Industry News Release

From the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

fl-forest-service-logoTALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced today that the Florida Forest Service is sending two crews of 40 wildland firefighters to assist wildfire suppression efforts in the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana. With these deployments, 129 Florida Forest Service fire personnel are currently deployed and assisting in various wildland firefighting and management positions in eight states across the country.

“Every state’s wildfire season differs in timing and severity, so while Florida is not experiencing large, uncontrolled wildfires, the Florida Forest Service is proud to lend a helping hand to protect life, property and natural resources in Louisiana,” stated Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam.

Today, the Florida Forest Service’s two crews will join other crews in Louisiana, where they will use hand tools, such as shovels, axes and rakes, to create a fire break or fire line around the wildfire perimeter.

Since January, the Florida Forest Service has responded to more than 2,000 wildfires that have burned more than 70,000 acres in Florida. More than 70 percent of all wildfires in Florida are caused by human carelessness and are preventable.

The Florida Forest Service, a division within the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than one million acres of public forestland while protecting 26 million acres of homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire. To learn more about Florida Forest Service programs, visit FloridaForestService.com.