Governor Proclaims March Prescribed Fire Awareness Month

Official designation raises awareness of the many benefits of controlled burning.

Gov. Henry McMaster has proclaimed March 2024 Prescribed Fire Awareness Month in South Carolina.

A coalition of state, federal and non-governmental land management organizations under the umbrella of the South Carolina Prescribed Fire Council requested the proclamation to raise awareness of the essential role that fire plays in both the stewardship of our natural resources and the protection of lives and property.

Prescribed, or controlled, burning is the skilled application of fire under planned weather and fuel conditions to achieve specific forest and land management objectives. Controlled burning is an ancient practice, notably used by Native Americans for crop management, insect and pest control, and hunting habitat improvement, among other purposes.

The practice continues today under the direction of land managers who understand the appropriate weather conditions, fuel loads and atmospheric conditions for conducting such burns. These carefully applied fires are an important tool to reduce wildfires, enhance wildlife habitat, and keep the nearly 13 million acres of forested land in South Carolina healthy and productive.

While prescribed burning cannot stop all wildfires, it is the best management tool available for preventing bigger and more frequent outbreaks. “All fire isn’t bad, but a fire in the wrong place at the wrong time can be, so we use prescribed fire to reduce accumulated fuels and minimize the chance of a larger wildfire destroying our woodlands and threatening lives and property,” said Darryl Jones, SCFC fire chief. “Prescribed burning has even more benefits than wildfire prevention. It’s also a key tool in managing wildlife habitat, reducing hazardous fuels, preparing agriculture and forestland for planting as well as controlling insect and disease outbreaks.”

Jones says about 500,000 acres are prescribed-burned every year in South Carolina – most of them on private land – but at least 1 million acres should be burned annually. “Prescribed Fire Awareness Month is a crucial component of raising awareness of the importance of prescribed fire across the landscape,” said Helen Mohr, chair of the SC Prescribed Fire Council. “The ability to conduct prescribed burns on federal, state and private lands is necessary to maintain our healthy forests.”