Forest Service to conduct prescribed burns for forest management and wildfire risk reduction in South Carolina communities
By Mayra Parrilla-Guerrero
Feb. 9, 2023
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service specialists have begun conducting prescribed burns throughout South Carolina’s Francis Marion and Sumter National Forest’s to improve habitat and reduce wildfire threat.
According to a press release the planned burns will be conducted over the next six months and include approximately 118,000 acres.
The prescribed burn tool is used as a critical management tool to improve plant and animal habitat and the resiliency of forest landscapes to withstand drought, insects and disease.
Prescribed fire activity is said to be dependent on the availability of trained Forest Service personnel, equipment, weather, fuels and conditions that minimize smoke impacts to the public.
Fire managers often prepare and plan approximately 30 percent more acres than they will prescribe burn each year to allow for adjustments for changing weather conditions, Fire Service officials say.
The tool is said to be ignited by trained personnel and partners to remove excess fuels, such as vegetation and dead wood, that would enable wildfires to burn hotter and longer.
Members of the Forest Service say applying prescribed fire on the land at the right place, at the right time, under the right conditions benefits the land and the surrounding communities.
During the prescribed burn, Forest Service say the public may notice smoke in various parts of the national forests over the coming months.
Drivers who encounter smoke on the road are recommended to use their low beams.
Prescribed burn notifications can be found by following the Francis Marion & Sumter National Forests’ website and social media.
Questions about the following 2023 planned prescribed burns should be directed to the following Forest Service district offices:
Forest Service fire specialists are planning prescribed burns on 50,000 acres on the Francis Marion National Forest in Charleston and Berkeley counties. Call the district office in Huger at (843) 336-2200.
Forest Service fire specialists are planning prescribed burns on 68,000 acres on the Sumter National Forest on the Forest’s three ranger districts:
The Andrew Pickens Ranger District is planning burns on 8,000 acres in Oconee County. Call the district office in Mountain Rest at (864) 638-9568.
The Enoree Ranger District is planning burns on 35,000 acres in Chester, Fairfield, Laurens, Newberry and Union counties. Call the district office in Whitmire at (803) 276-4810.
The Long Cane Ranger District is planning burns on 25,000 acres in Edgefield, McCormick, Saluda, Abbeville and Greenwood counties. Call the district office in Edgefield at (803) 637-5396.
Real-time interactive maps of active fires and burn notifications in South Carolina can viewed here: https://www.scfc.gov/protection/fire...ire-resources/.
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