Last Updated on November 27, 2017 4:56 pm
UPDATE Tuesday Nov 28 – Due to unfavorable conditions, the Pisgah National Forest is postponing the 197-acre prescribed burn that was planned for today in the Boyd Gap area off Globe Road on the Grandfather Ranger District.
The burn will be rescheduled when conditions are favorable. A notice will be sent out when an alternate date is planned.
U.S. Forest Service fire managers work within a specific set of conditions during a prescribed burn to ensure objectives are met and health impacts are minimized. Due to high humidity overnight, fuel conditions are too wet to be receptive to fire. Additionally, smoke models predicted impacts to the town of Blowing Rock, which is 5 miles north of the planned burn in northern Caldwell County.
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The U.S. Forest Service plans to conduct a 197-acre prescribed burn in the Grandfather Ranger District, Pisgah National Forest, tomorrow Tuesday November 28, 2017. Whether or not the burn is carried out tomorrow will depend on site-specific weather conditions and smoke modeling data.
The agency will conduct the burn at Boyd Gap off Globe Road, 5 miles south of Blowing Rock in northern Caldwell County.
The Forest Service is conducting the burn as part of the Grandfather Restoration Project, a 10-year project focused around restoring fire resilient ecosystems while providing for community protection. The objective of the burn is to reduce fuels to prevent catastrophic wildfire as well as restore fire-adapted vegetation.
Thunderhole Road (FSRD 4071) will be temporarily closed during fire operations. The safety of the public and firefighters is the highest priority during a controlled burn. The public is asked to heed signs posted at gates and to stay away from burn areas and closed roads.
Some smoke may be visible in the area around Blowing Rock. All prescribed burns follow smoke management guidelines to mitigate impacts to the public.
The Blowing Rock Fire Department, North Carolina Forest Service, and The Nature Conservancy will be assisting with burn operations.
Click here to learn more about restoring fire to the mountains.
