For the Everglades, they are natural processes. Fires Fires ignite in the Everglades through lightning strikes. Until 1958, the National Park Service had a policy to suppress all fires in the Everglades. Then a study showed that fire was necessary to maintain biological diversity. As a result, the Everglades was the site of the first prescribed fire ever in a national park.
Fire removes decaying vegetation and allows for regrowth.
That new growth, plus nutrients released from the burn, increases food and habitat for wildlife. Fires may spread faster and further if the Everglades are drier than normal. Canals and levees change the way water flows through the Everglades and how water is stored. This can make disasters much worse than if the water was flowing the way it should. Some people want fires stopped in the Everglades, concerned about the damage to their homes and businesses.