Fire actually helping key wildlife

There's no smoke without fire, but Anna Maria Island residents were relieved to discover that the plume of grey smoke filing upwards from Egmont Key last week was part of a controlled burn to help the wildlife on the tiny island.
The purpose of the burn, which covered southern third of the key, was to eliminate dead trees and non-native vegetation, including Australian pines, and clear the sand of exotic vegetation to open up more space for birds which nest in it, such as the royal tern and sandwich tern, and to encourage the growth of the vegetation preferred by birds which nest in cover.
Several bird species, including black skimmers, American oystercatchers and brown pelicans, nest on the southern part of the key – which is a sanctuary – in spring and summer, but they were long gone at the time of the blaze.
According to the AMI Sun newspaper, the key is also 'home to more than 1,500 threatened gopher tortoises. The colony is unique because it is free from an upper respiratory disease that plagues mainland tortoises. A dozen volunteers gathered up as many of the tortoises as they could find over the past two days and moved them in trucks to the north side of the key to minimize mortality'.
So there you have it, panic over. But well done to all the residents who were so quickly on the telephone to local government offices to inquire about the fire.

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