Once every few years these vast expanses of Everglades Pinelands are cleared through the use of prescribed fires used to mimic the natural pattern of fire. This helps clear the faster-growing hardwoods which would normally block light from the pine seedlings allowing for future growth.
This is an area which was subject to these prescribed fires not long ago, with large cleared areas, many of the trees had signs of burned bark as well.
They have controlled burning like this in the North of Australia also.