Crews clear dense vegetation in Chuluota to prepare for prescribed burns

Crews took down extensive vegetation this week at a large preserve in Chuluota.

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However, they are not making way for new homes or shops.

The crews are working to preserve the Chuluota wilderness area.

Read: Florida officials warn residents to prepare for wildfire season

This forest had gotten so dense that it needed to be thinned out ahead of a prescribed burn.

Those burns help restore the ecosystem by allowing new native plant growth.

Read: Forest officials warn parts of U.S., including Central Florida, at high risk of wildfires

Experts say the burns are a natural process but are done in a way that can be controlled.

“If you don’t burn it, it will burn on its own at some point, and that’s usually not a good thing,” said Ron Chicone, program coordinator with the Seminole County Natural Lands Program.

Read: Wildfire season causes increased risk for drivers in Central Florida

The land will not be burned until this winter.

That’s when experts say conditions are at their safest.

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