By Dixon Stone

The Vicksburg Post

 

Warren County residents and passersby might see some smoke in the air beginning this month when the U.S. Forest Service starts its prescribed fire season to prevent wildfires and promote a healthy forest for plants and wildlife.

“Prescribed fire, also known as controlled burning, refers to the controlled use of fire by a team of experts to safely reduce excessive amounts of grass and brush,” said Danny Bryant, fire management officer with the National Forests in Mississippi.

Prescribed fires are known to help reduce or limit the damage caused by wildfires in local forests and communities.

“Pre-planned prescribed burns are carefully analyzed and conducted under specific weather conditions,” according to a press release from the Mississippi Forest Service.

The National Forests in Mississippi include six forests: Bienville, Delta, Holly Springs, Homochitto, Tombigbee, and the De Soto, which also includes the Chickasawhay Ranger District.

“Although Vicksburg is pretty far from where the fires at the national forests will be taking place, private landowners might be doing burns on their plots as well during this time,” said Kara Davis, public affairs specialist for the Forest Service. “Either way, people should take caution if they see smoke while traveling through throughout the state.”

The fires should begin extremely soon, Bryant said.

“Because prescribed fires depend on having the correct weather conditions, the decision to burn is made very close to the actual burn time,” said Bryant. “Fire managers study variables such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, how smoke will disperse and rainfall patterns.”

“We usually stop burning once the summer weather starts to move in,” Davis said. “So we will most likely stop the prescribed burns during March.”

Drivers and residents are reminded by the U.S. Forest Service of the risk of smoke on the road during these prescribed burns. If smoky conditions develop, drivers should reduce their speed and use low beam lights to become more visible on the road.

“Our primary concern is for firefighter and public safety,” Bryant said. “Prescribed fire plays an integral part in reducing fuels, improving all wildlife habitats, controlling competing vegetation, controlling disease and improving forage.”

Davis said this is a common event that takes place very few years.

“We do this about 2 years or so,” he said. “It’s more of a rotation method on how we decide to do the burns. Some plots have been burned before, while others have not.”

For more information on the scheduled prescribed burns, contact the Forest Service at 601-965-1600.