Was there a fire on Snead Island in early January?

A prescribed burn took place on Jan. 9 on Snead Island — a small, mostly residential island off just west of Palmetto in Manatee County.

The Florida Forest Service authorized the burn, which the Manatee County Natural Resources Resource Management conducted that day from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It happened within Emerson Point Preserve, a natural preserve located on the western end of the island.

Controlled or prescribed burns are fires set intentionally to mimic natural fire cycles. The goal of the controlled burn at Emerson Point was to eliminate excess plants that are prone to causing wildfires, remove invasive plants that have consumed the area and improve conditions for native plants to grow, therefore providing better quality of food for wildlife.