This time smoke coming from Gulf State Park is a good thing

GULF SHORES, Ala. (WKRG) — If you saw smoke coming from Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores Tuesday, there’s no reason to be concerned. It was a controlled burn, a way to fight fire with fire.

“By burning this, it removes a lot of vegetative fuels that can fuel wildfires and so forth,” Rickey Fields with the Alabama Forestry Commission said.

The fire near the Lakeview and Eagle Loop Trails covered 180 acres, considered a small burn for the 6,100-acre park, and it is essential for the health of the environment according to state park naturalist Kelly Reetz.

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“This is a very good thing,” Reetz said. “In fact, this area is a fire-dependent habitat, which means we have to have fire to move through it to be able to maintain it properly.”

As crews set the fires, it burns fast. There is a lot of fuel, and once it gets through that initial brush, the flames will die out on their own.

“We will be finished today,” Reetz said. “There will be a few smoldering stumps, and with the rain that is coming this weekend that will be completely out.”

A huge controlled burn near the park campgrounds was planned over the summer. It had to be postponed because of drought conditions.

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Forestry officials are shooting for next summer to try again, but right now, weather conditions have improved.

“We have received a fair amount of rainfall over the past week or so,” Fields said. “The low humidity, wind speed and so forth is going to help us burn this area under a pre-planned setting.”

While the fire may seem intense, the area will recover quickly according to Reetz.

“It is going to stay charred and black for a while but we will start seeing ferns pop up pretty quick,” Reetz said.

The rain forecast for the weekend will help speed up the process.

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