North Carolina’s First Prescribed Fire Awareness Week Set for February 7-13
Prescribed Fire Council Plans Demonstration Burn Feb. 10 in the Sandhills
RALEIGH — Feb. 5, 2010 — Gov. Beverly Perdue has declared February 7-13 Prescribed Fire Awareness Week, the first statewide recognition of prescribed fire in North Carolina. To underscore the importance of prescribed fire in North Carolina ecosystems, the NC Prescribed Fire Council will hold a demonstration burn on February 10 at 11:30 a.m. at Calloway Forest Preserve in the Sandhills. Members of the council will be on hand for the burn, including North Carolina State Forester Wib Owen.
“Prescribed fire is an important tool for forestry and wildlife habitat management,” says Council Chairman Dean Simon. “Many plants and animals need prescribed fire to survive and thrive. Prescribed burns also reduce the threat of large, dangerous wildfires by reducing fuels. The governor’s proclamation underlines the importance of prescribed fire to all North Carolinians.”
 Fire once occurred regularly across North Carolina. Low-intensity fires burned every few years, fueled by grass, leaves, pine straw, and other forest debris. They kept the forest open, allowing sunlight to penetrate to its floor and reducing buildup of dangerous fuel loads. Fire suppression altered the landscape, allowing fuels to accumulate and putting people and communities in jeopardy. There are many fire-dependent ecosystems across the state from the mountains to the coast, including most oak and pine forests. Without fire, many native plants and animals will disappear due to lack of food, habitat and conditions needed for them to exist.
Prescribed burn participants receive extensive training to ensure that they are careful to protect surrounding communities, themselves and the land they are working to restore. Fire experts do a great deal of work before the first match is lit. They create a burn plan, which includes smoke management details, fire control measures, acceptable weather parameters, equipment and personnel needs. The plan also details how the ecosystem will benefit from fire.
The North Carolina Prescribed Fire Council brings together natural resource professionals, public and private land managers and others who support the use of prescribed fire. More information about the council is available at http://ncprescribedfirecouncil.org/
NOTE: The demonstration burn is weather-dependent; final decisions on burning aren’t made until several hours before the burn. We will put out an advisory on the morning of February 10 to confirm whether it will take place. If you would like to receive a phone call that morning as well, please email or call Debbie Crane at dcrane@tnc.org or (919) 403-8558. If you do cover the event, please wear sturdy shoes and clothes that can get dirty.
Directions to Calloway Forest Preserve: From Fayetteville or Raeford, take US 211 West. Look for Calloway Road on the left. The park is on the right, a tenth of a mile past Calloway Road. From Aberdeen, take US 211 East. The park entrance is on the left, three miles past the B.P. gas station.
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Click here to see our brochure for the first Fire in the Lakes Festival on Feb. 13. Click here to see our press release on the event. See you there!
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.
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