In hopes of lessening the severity of potential wildfires, the R.I. Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is doing some work at Carolina Management Area.
Foresters will be creating what’s known as a “shaded fuel break” by thinning out the tree cover, cutting underbrush and clearing away dead branches. While this won’t stop a wildfire, the DEM said it will limit its speed and severity, making it easier for firefighters to respond before it gets out of control. “On days like today where it’s sunny, the vegetation on the ground can dry out really quickly, and when it’s sunny, say, for a period of days, without leaves on the trees, the sun goes right down onto the floor of the forest where all these grasses, dead leaves, dead branches — we call that fuel in forest fire terms,” DEM spokesperson Mike Healey told 12 News on Monday.