Eglin to conduct a prescribed burn near Florosa Published Dec. 30, 2008 By Jerron Barnett Eglin Environmental Public Affairs EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Eglin Air Force Base fire managers will conduct a 1,400 acre prescribed burn in an area on the Eglin reservation just north of Florosa today. The fire is scheduled to start late morning and last until late afternoon. Eglin fire managers and Florosa Fire District personnel will be on site through the duration of the burn activity. "Florosa and Hurlburt Field residents near that area should anticipate seeing a large plume of smoke most of the day," James Furman, Fire Management Section Chief, said. "The winds should blow the plume to the north, slightly northwest." Mr. Furman added that some light smoke may be visible in the area for several days afterwards, and Eglin fire managers will continue to monitor the area. Eglin is nearly a month into its annual prescribed burning season. To date, Eglin fire managers have burned approximately 8,000 acres this year, or 11 percent of their 70,000 acre goal for this season. Eglin's ecosystem is a fire-dependent one, meaning animal and plant life that inhabits Eglin's reservation depends on fire applied under the right "prescription" of weather and wind conditions to thrive.