HIGHLANDS COUNTY, Fla. — Thick smoke could be drifting across parts of Highlands County on Thursday due to two large prescribed burns.
Highlands County Fire Rescue (HCFR) said state officials are monitoring the controlled burns, which include a 350-acre burn off State Road 66 in the area between Hardee and Highlands counties and a 100-acre burn off U.S. 98 near Lorida.
The agency said it’s normal for smoke from these burns to travel into other areas of the community. Residents are urged not to be alarmed, but to call 911 if they see unattended fires or anything suspicious so fire crews can investigate.
RELATED: UPDATE: Evacuation order lifted in Highlands County after large brush fire: HCFR

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