Was there an explosion at a Florida beach? Not quite. But here’s what actually happened

A massive, mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke was spotted near New Smyrna Beach on Wednesday, leading some beachgoers into thinking a major "explosion" took place not far from the beach.

But is that what actually happened? There's no need to panic, according to beach officials.

According to the New Smyrna Beach Police Department, there was a large prescribed burn in the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge the same day. The beach is roughly 50 miles north of the refuge, in neighboring Brevard County.

Police also said they have not heard of any reports of explosions in the area.

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Where is New Smyrna Beach, Florida?

New Smyrna Beach is a city in Volusia County, 16 miles south of Daytona Beach.

Was there an explosion in Florida?

No, there was not. New Smyrna Beach officials said the strange mushroom-shaped cloud was from a controlled burn miles away.

When residents and beachgoers saw a large cloud of smoke, some posted their concerns on social media. One user wrote "explosion reported."

Was there an explosion at New Smyrna Beach?

New Smyrna Beach Fire Chief Shawn VanDemark said there were no reports of an explosion.

Although outside the department’s jurisdiction, VanDemark said he knew about a controlled burn that was expected for Merritt Island.

The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge posted on Facebook a "prescribed burn" was salted for Tuesday and Wednesday "to improve habitat for the endangered Florida scrub jay."

What is a prescribed burn?

According to the Florida's Department of Agriculture, a prescribed burn is the controlled application of fire by a team of fire experts under specified weather conditions. The fires are started under controlled conditions after careful planning.

The benefits of a prescribed burn or fire, also referred to as a controlled burn, are said help reduce wildfire risk and restore health to ecosystems that depend on fire. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, they improve aesthetic values by increasing occurrence and visibility of flowering plants and maintaining open vistas.

The U.S. Forest Service estimates that 4,000 to 5,000 prescribed burns are completed annually by federal land management agencies.

Most prescribed fires in Florida are conducted in the winter and early spring.

Contributing: Brenno Carillo, Natalie Neysa Alund