Morrow Mountain State Park to conduct control burn | Environment

STANLY COUNTY (NC Department of Environment and Natrual Resources) - The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation will conduct a prescribed burn at Morrow Mountain State Park in Stanly County between Jan. 4 and Jan. 13, when conditions are suitable, according to Park Superintendent Jason Gwinn.

The burn will be conducted on 600 acres near the park’s northern boundary and adjoining Alcoa property. Some areas of the park, including portions of the Fall Mountain Trail and the bridle trail, will be closed to the public during the event.

Prescribed burns are used as a resource management tool by the state parks system. Some plant communities and animal species rely on periodic fire for their existence. The prescribed burn will also reduce the amount of potential wildfire fuel.

The prescribed burn will help protect the park’s resources and neighboring landowners if lightning, arson or carelessness sparks a wildfire.

The low-intensity, prescribed burn will be conducted in cooperation with the North Carolina Forest Service. In order to minimize smoke and assure the fire is controlled, the prescribed burn will only be carried out under strictly defined weather conditions of a fire management plan. On the selected day, the burn will begin in the late morning and will end by late afternoon.

On the day when the fire is to begin, an alert will be posted on the Morrow Mountain State Park page of the division’s website, www.ncparks.gov. For further information, call the park office at (704) 982-4402.