Smoke in the Skies? Prescribed Burns Are to Blame.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Haze and the smell of smoke filled the air across the Carolinas this afternoon – but it’s all for a good cause.

“We’ve had a really good week here with burning,” says Duane Truslow with the North Carolina Forest Service in Lenoir. Truslow says his team is just helping Mother Nature along.

“Fires are a natural part of our history here, and ‘prescribed’ means, as fire managers, we pick the track, and the particular day, and the weather parameters to burn certain pieces of property.”

And these small, controlled fires are needed in order to prevent more serious blazes ahead of wildfire season.

“We’re going in and we’re trying to reduce the fuel loading that’s on the ground. Reduce the leaves and the needles and the other vegetation that may be there so that if a fire is in that area in the future, the immediate future, then there’s really nothing left there to burn.”

And, as it turns out, it actually helps some of our local flora.

“There are certain tree species that you need to run fire through to open up pinecones so the pine seeds can do what they need to do. And, also, when you’re doing a silvicultural burn, you’re reducing some of the vegetation there, such as invasives, to clear the forest floor out to allow the more desirable species to grow there.”

Air quality has taken a hit, but there’s good news for sensitive groups – all prescribed burns have been completed and northerly winds should flush out most, if not all, of the smoke by Friday afternoon.

The Forest Service also says not to hesitate to call 9-1-1 if you have any concerns about open flames you see – they’ll be happy to investigate to make sure everything is under control.