Uncovering the Hidden Wildfire Risks: How NC’s Coastal Terrain, Past Blunders, and Climate Change Are Fueling Catastrophes

Unplanned Fires and Prescribed Burns

Just weeks after the Great Lakes Fire scorched 32,000 acres, the Pulp Road Wildfire erupted from a prescribed fire gone awry in a longleaf pine forest. This blaze in Green Swamp Preserve engulfed almost 16,000 acres of peatland, managed by The Nature Conservancy, demonstrating how quickly controlled burns can spiral out of control.

On June 13, 2023, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission initiated a planned burn in Green Swamp Game Land. Despite their efforts, flare-ups escaped the boundaries two days later, requiring support from the North Carolina Forest Service. This incident underscores the inherent risks in managed fires.

As Maurer from The Nature Conservancy points out, unpredictability is a constant in fire management. Variables abound, making it impossible to foresee every outcome. The necessity of prescribed burns for maintaining healthy landscapes must be balanced with these risks.

Part of the Coastal Kindling series by Carolina Public Press, this article delves into the challenges of managing fire-prone ecosystems, following an earlier piece on flammable coastal regions. The final installment will explore potential solutions for these pressing issues.

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Challenges in Fire Management

Prescribed burns and wetland restoration are crucial strategies on North Carolina’s Coastal Plain to create resilient landscapes and protect communities from increasing wildfires. However, growing populations in these areas complicate these efforts. The Nature Conservancy manages over 70,000 acres in Southeastern North Carolina, constantly adapting to changing landscapes.

Maurer emphasizes the difficulty of implementing fire plans in the face of urban development. Ecosystems like pocosin wetlands and longleaf pine savannas depend on fire for their health. Without regular burns, these ecosystems suffer, becoming more vulnerable to intense wildfires.

Key stakeholders, including conservation organizations, private landowners, and public agencies, use various techniques to maintain these environments. These methods include:

• Controlled burns
• Pesticide application
• Timber harvesting

These efforts aim to restore healthy sections of longleaf pine habitats and pocosin wetlands, which are vital to the region’s ecological balance.

Weyerhaeuser, a major timber company, employs active timber management strategies, including maintaining firebreaks and access roads. These measures are critical for slowing the spread of fires and ensuring safe routes for firefighting efforts.

Historical and Ecological Context

Longleaf pine forests and pocosins thrive with regular fire exposure. Historically, both natural and human-set fires maintained these ecosystems. In the early 20th century, however, fire suppression policies prevailed, driven by fear of destructive wildfires. By the 1960s and 1970s, research shifted perspectives, highlighting the benefits of controlled burns.

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In the Croatan National Forest, the US Forest Service conducts prescribed burns every two to five years to mimic natural fire cycles. This practice helps maintain the health of longleaf pine forests. Pocosins, however, present unique challenges due to their thick vegetation and wet soil, making controlled burns difficult.

Pocosins, characterized by their elevation and poor drainage, form a mosaic of ecological communities. These ecosystems, rich in organic matter, are highly flammable during drought conditions. Restoring drained peatlands can mitigate wildfire risks and reduce flood hazards, but the process is complex and resource-intensive.

Despite the challenges, conservationists emphasize the importance of maintaining these ecosystems. Pocosins, once widespread along the southeastern coast, have been drastically reduced by agriculture and development. North Carolina, however, still retains significant pocosin acreage, offering a unique opportunity for restoration efforts.

Climate Change and Extreme Weather

Climate change exacerbates wildfire risks by altering weather patterns and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events. Dry conditions, like those following a quiet hurricane season, leave peatlands more susceptible to fire. Even brief periods of high temperatures and low precipitation can render these ecosystems highly flammable.

Predicting droughts and heavy rainfall is challenging, but climate change is expected to increase the frequency of both. This variability strains the ability of land managers to conduct controlled burns safely. Extreme weather can push ecosystems to their breaking points, transforming forests into marshes or open water.

Ghost forests, remnants of once-thriving woodlands, are a stark example of this transformation. Rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion, driven by climate change, contribute to the spread of these ghost forests. Pocosins near shorelines face similar threats, with wildfires potentially altering their hydrology and accelerating their decline.

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The intersection of urban development and wildfire-prone landscapes further complicates fire management. Smoke from wildfires and prescribed burns poses health risks and can impact air quality over large areas. Balancing ecological benefits with public safety and community concerns remains a delicate and ongoing challenge.