Controlled burns will be conducted Wednesday, Feb. 18, in the Bailey Tract portion of the J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel.

Fire is a natural part of Florida’s ecosystem, historically set by lightning. Fire removes old vegetation, promotes new growth of native vegetation and suppresses the growth of non-native invasive plants. In the absence of fire, many plant communities are displaced by dense, woody vegetation which can reduce plant diversity and eliminate foraging opportunities for the island’s wildlife. Species such as the gopher tortoise, eastern indigo snakes, and the Sanibel rice rat all depend on a fire maintained ecosystem.

To address safety and wild land fire issues on Sanibel, the city of Sanibel, the Sanibel Fire and Rescue District, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge formed the “Sanibel Firewise Task Force.”