Those seeing smoke, flames or personnel on part of Green River Game Lands, near Holbert Cove Road in Polk County on Feb. 4, were witnessing a prescribed burn used by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to promote safety, wildlife food and habitat, and to stimulate the growth of native vegetation.

In this instance, officials conducted what they term a “low intensity burn,” near ground level, on some 127 acres of the 10,000-acre Green River Game Lands.

Fire occurred only on or very near ground level. The burn was only initiated when officials were assured that ground moisture was high enough to prevent a wildfire, said Dean Simons, an official with the Wildlife Resources Commission.

Simons explained that his agency conducted three such burns that day in the state—the other two being on game land tracts in Richmond and Bertie counties.

“We’ve been burning in that (Green River Game Lands) area every three to five years,” Simons continued, with burns occurring in different part of the large area.

Simons said the burns have multiple goals. One is mechanical fuels reduction. This involves removing ground-lying debris, especially lighter fuels to keep it from fueling a large wildfire, which could spread to the forest canopy. Wildlife use, response and occurrence are carefully monitored after such burns, as the burns are designed to provide more wildlife food.

Vegetative response is also monitored after these burns, Simons noted. He said that science and research have shown that, over time, species have adapted to fire as a restoration tool.

Simons noted that some 25-30 trained personnel monitored the activity, with about ten of those individuals released after the ignition. Crews remained “pretty darn late” into the night, to make sure flames had no chance to spread.

“The burn was perfect,” Simons reported, “because of high soil moisture.” He noted that Wildlife Resources Commission officials develop a plan well before such burns, with everything written beforehand. Temperature and humidity conditions must be suitable before such a burn is initiated.

Green River Game Lands is one of just 13 locations in the U.S. where the National Fire and Fire Surrogate Studies are conducted.