Peach Orchard Prescribed Burn (Prescribed Fire)

This spring Monongahela National Forest officials plan to conduct a prescribed burn on 1,119 acres of National Forest System land in the Peach Orchard area, northwest of Blue Bend Recreation Area in Greenbrier County.Why do we burn?Reintroducing fire into the forest will:Restore historic fire regimesImprove wildlife habitatEnhance forest structure and age diversityImprove oak regenerationControl tree diseases and insectsReduce hazardous fuel levelsHow do we manage a prescribed burn?Fire managers prepare a burn plan for each prescribed burn describing the appropriate conditions needed to conduct the burn safely and achieve the desired results. Burn plans consider public safety, protection of private property, staffing and equipment needs, temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation, and smoke dispersal. Appropriate conditions must be met before igniting prescribed burns. A control line is established around each burn area before ignition, using hand tools and other…