Plans by the Florida Forest Service and the Southwest Florida Water Management District to conduct an aerial prescribed burn on 4,000 to 8,000 acres Thursday and Friday will close State Road 471 between U.S. 98 and State Road 50 to all but local traffic. The fire will occur in Sumter County north of Colt Creek State Park.
Trafffic will be detoured to U.S. 301. The burn will occur in the Richloam unit of Withlacoochee State Forest and the Green Swamp Wildlife Management Area.
Residents in northern Polk County may notice smokier-than-normal conditions.