US Forest Service Begins Prescribed Burns

The US Forest Service has started their prescribed burns across the Sumter and Marion National Forests in South Carolina. Over the next six months, officials said they plan to burn 118 thousand acres, including 8 thousand acres inside the Andrew-Pickens District in Oconee County. Prescribed fire is considered critical to improve plant and animal habitats, as well as the forest’s resiliency to withstand drought, insects and disease. Area residents and visitors are liable to notice smoke in the region, and are advised to use low beams if encountering smoke over roadways. Anyone with questions or concerns can contact the US Forest Service’s Mountain Rest Office by calling 864-638-9568.