Southeastern forestry, wildlife preservation, and agricultural organizations came together for the first Fire Festival in Effingham County on Saturday.
Susan French works with The Longleaf Alliance, an organization that promotes prescribed fires throughout The Southeast. She says the goal of this event is to help people understand why some fires are planned and why that is important.
“A lot of our native plants need that prescribed burning to start growing, and so you’re also promoting those plants," said French. "And then a lot of our native species: deer, turkey, quale depend on those plants for food and cover, and so you’re creating that habitat for them.” French said the controlled forest fires can also help prevent more dangerous fire situations.