WWW.KEYSNET.COM WEDNESDAY,AUGUST 8, 2012 VOLUME 59, NO. 63 ● 25 CENTS LOWER KEYS Big Pine fire set Thursday By KEVIN WADLOW ignite the controlled burn on a sons learned” from the Blue changes Thursday will be Senior Staff Writer narrow, boomerang-shaped Wildlife refuge staff says lessons Hole Fire at prescribed burns more firefighters at the site.
[email protected] tract covering 10 acres along learned from out-of-control blaze in mainland refuges in recent “There will be a lot of peo- the west side of Key Deer months. ple there,” Morkill said of The first intentional burn Boulevard. larger area and forced a five- on weather and conditions,” “We’ve been testing the units from Fish and Wildlife, on Big Pine Key since the The site, between Big Pine hour evacuation for residents refuge manager Anne Morkill protocols learned here last the National Park Service, the Blue Hole Fire scorched 100 Avenue and Mahogany Lane, of the Pine Heights subdivi- said Tuesday. year and things have gone Florida Division of Forestry, acres last September could be lies close to the Blue Hole sion. Refuge fire-management perfectly,” Cohen said. “We Monroe County Fire Rescue lit Thursday. area where a planned 10-acre “We won’t make the final specialist Dana Cohen said look forward to a good burn and the Sheriff’s Office. A Staff with the National burn on Sept. 15 turned into a decision to burn until U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service here.” Key Deer Refuge plan to wildfire that covered a much Thursday morning, depending staff has been applying “les- One of the most visible ● See Fire, 2A ELECTION 2012 OUR YOUTH Thousands already voted in primary primary election.