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As a child, I watched very little television. I spent most of my time reading, practicing my music, or just helping out around the house.

My brother Mark however, used to watch the Saturday Morning cartoons religiously, and occasionally, when I would take a break from my wood splitting, I would hear the public service announcement in which Smokey the Bear would say, “Only you can prevent forest fires.”

However, some twenty years later, although he meant very well,…I realize Smokey may have been mistaken.

You see, in Southwest Florida, we are now well into our “dry season.” Over the next 4 months, there will be more and more emphasis on the rainfall totals, and the drought index. Unless something unusual happens rainfall-wise, we are likely in for an active brush fire season.

Please few things to keep in mind. Our brush fire season is part of the fire cycle. There is a very detailed article on the fire cycle, which I’ll include here.

Learn more about the fire cycle

In a nutshell,....brush fire season is essential in removing the dead vegetation, releasing nutrients into the environment, and allowing the new plants to grow.

Obviously, the problem is when Mother Nature’s brush fires start to affect man-made structures, which will happen most often in areas that are rural, or not yet fully developed. If you live in one of these areas, obviously, you should do everything you can to clear dead brush as far as possible from your stucture.

However, one of my biggest pet peeves is the lack of true understanding of the way brush fire season always plays out. If a brush fire develops tomorrow,…it will most likely be due to human error,…a discarded cigarette,….mischievous children,….even careless adults.

Don’t misunderstand my point; this time of year it is our responsibility to be smart and safe, and the local media does an excellent job driving home this message.

However, the real “heart” of the Southwest Florida Brush fire season usually coincides with the first beginnings of the rainy season, usually from the end of May through the beginning of June.

THIS is when we start to see the first storms that contain fire triggering lightning,…and it’s also too early in the rainy season for the storms to alleviate the dry conditions. Remember, it doesn’t always have to be raining for lightning to strike, and lightning can strike up to ten miles outside of the rainstorm.

That’s why the first few weeks preceding rainy season is the time of year when late afternoon storms may trigger several brush fires in different areas in a very short period of time. Really, this is part of Mother Nature’s grand plan, as the fire cycle continues.

Reluctantly and sadly,……although it’s a catchy phrase from Smokey,….sometimes even we can’t prevent forest fires. I am very sorry to have to report that, especially to the children who may be reading this.

However,….that “Give a hoot, don’t pollute” owl,……HE WAS RIGHT ON!