Lightning strike starts fire on Pine Island

A lightning strike on Friday night started a fire on Pine Island, a 90-acre preserve in the Braden River just southeast of the State Road 60 boat ramp.

Melissa Nell of Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources said in a release that the site was scheduled for a prescribed fire this summer when "conditions were appropriate." The Florida Forest Service assessed conditions on Friday night with Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources and activated the "established incident action plan created for the site in preparation for the planned prescribed fire."

Staff from Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources, the Florida Forest Service and the Cedar Hammock and Southern Manatee fire departments have been monitoring and working the fire to allow it to burn down the excess vegetation on the site.

The boat ramp is expected to stay open and Nell said there is very little smoke.