Fire

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The USDA Forest Service - Savannah River Fire unit is fully staffed by a fire program manager, fire management officer, and two assistant fire management officers, as well as engine and equipment operators and dispatch center employees.
One of the biggest responsibilities of the Fire unit, in addition to fire suppression, is managing the prescribed fire activities that take place within the 310 square miles of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site. We apply prescribed burns to approximately 20,000 acres annually at DOE-SRS to reduce hazardous forest fuels and restore ecological processes. This is accomplished by removing heavily concentrated fuels within the SRS boundary via, for example, timber sales, clearing land to create habitat for the red-cockaded woodpecker, and restoring longleaf pine populations. 

The DOE-SRS provides excellent training ground for fire management personnel. The USFS-SR’s Fire unit is the only Southeast sponsor of the Wildland Fire Apprenticeship Program. We also promote fire prevention education via Smokey Bear school visits and participation in local community events.
The USFS staffs the Savannah River Site 365 days a year, using two type 3 engines, two type 6 engines, and three type 2 bulldozers.