On Tuesday afternoon, Manchester citizens began seeing heavy smoke throughout the community. On Target News confirmed where the smoke was coming from.
The Arnold Air Force Base Natural Resources Management Team has begun its prescribed fire operations, and a debris burn occurred at a housing development.
To support the Air Force’s mission at Arnold Engineering Development Complex, headquartered at Arnold AFB, prescribed fire will help maintain plant communities so that they continue to provide all the benefits we have come to enjoy.
Most prescribed fire operations at Arnold occur during March and April when weather and fuel conditions are generally conducive to accomplishing management goals.
Wildfire protection, noise attenuation, ecosystem development, invasive species control, and wildlife habitat improvement are some of the reasons considered when selecting units to burn.
The control element of each burn comes from the team matching the area to burn with the weather parameters that will give the best results. Manipulating the fire’s intensity and the smoke’s dispersal are paramount in achieving ecological goals while mitigating unwanted impacts on the surrounding community.
Courtesy photo by Brenton Berlin
