Prescribed Burn in Long Creek

As you stare up in the sky today on St. Patrick’s Day looking for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, you may see smoke. The Sumter National Forest conducts a controlled burn today in Long Creek, near Damascus Church Road. The National Forest Service plans to burn about 155 acres. Prescribed fire operations are conducted each year between March and June. Due to weather conditions, it is difficult to predict the specific day operations will begin. The objective of a prescribed burn is to reduce fuels in order to protect National Forest land and private property from the effects of wildfires. It also improves wildlife habitat for a variety of species and mitigates the spread of non-native vegetation.