TALLAHASSEE, Fla., December 10, 2020 – The USDA Forest Service will be burning piles from a 119 acre clearcut today on the Apalachicola National Forest.
Approximately 8-10 piles will be burned in Liberty County, south of Forest Service Road 130 and north of Forest Service Road 118. The burn will reduce accumulated fuels from previous operations and reduce the threat of wildfire.
The USDA Forest Service Southern Region is taking a risk-informed approach to managing prescribed fire by evaluating the following factors: (1) the ability to maintain fire responder viability and sustainability; (2) potential smoke impacts to communities from prescribed fire and how that interacts with COVID-19 effects; and (3) the ability to use local resources so inter-state travel is not necessary. Smaller scale prescribed fires will slowly resume in select locations to achieve critical forest management objectives. Operations will pay special attention to smoke management, while keeping the safety of the public and firefighters in mind at all times.
People are reminded that the smoke they may see today and tomorrow in this vicinity is not coming from a wildfire. Motorists are cautioned to drive slowly with lights on while traveling in smoky areas. Drivers should be particularly cautious in areas where prescribed fires have taken place when it is foggy. Morning fog can mix with smoke and decrease visibility further.
This is one of many prescribed burns the Apalachicola National Forest has planned during the 2021 prescribed burning season. Today’s burn is in Burn Unit 23; click to see the Apalachicola's 2021 Prescribed Burn Map. | 
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