Prescribed burn slated for McDowell County

NEBO, N.C. (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service is under way with a prescribed burn in McDowell County to reduce hazardous fuels and improve wildlife habitat.

A statement said the burn began Friday and will continue for the next three days in the Curtis Creek area.

The prescribed burn involves about 3,700 acres, approximately six miles north of Old Fort in the Grandfather Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest. Part of the area is a sanctuary for bears, which will benefit from the prescribed burn.

The forest service is conducting the burn as part of the Grandfather Restoration Project, a 10-year project designed to restore 40,000 acres of the Grandfather Ranger District. The project is restoring fire-adapted ecosystems by enhancing conditions for a variety of native plants and wildlife.