The Village of Pinehurst will conduct a prescribed burn some time in late February or early March in the Arboretum at Rassie Wicker Park. The burn will take place in the savanna, located between McCaskill Road, Graham Road, and Rassie Wicker Drive.
Burns are done when weather conditions are optimal to minimize the effects of smoke and achieve the desired results of the burn. As a result, a specific day for the burn cannot be determined at this time. The exact date and time of the prescribed burn will be announced on the Village’s website (www.vopnc.org) and social media pages (@vopnc).
This will be the fifth prescribed burn conducted at Rassie Wicker Park since 2010 as part of the Longleaf Forest Management Plan.
Fire is an important part of the Longleaf pine ecosystem and prescribed burns are a safe way of introducing fire back into the Longleaf pine forests to aid in seed dispersal, increase soil nutrients, and reduce competition from faster-growing tree species. Prescribed burns are also done to prevent the buildup of vegetative fuels in forests. Reducing excess vegetation (fuel) decreases the damage that could result if a wildfire occurred. Prescribed burns also control the infestation of ticks that carry diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease.
Prescribed burns are conducted by professionals who must submit a burn plan, including fire and smoke control, to the Division of Forest Resources.
For more information on the prescribed burn at Rassie Wicker Park, call 910-295-8657 or email [email protected].
Courtesy photo/Contributed.
