MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — A controlled burn at the Latta Nature Preserve Wednesday afternoon could cause smoky conditions across the Charlotte area, Mecklenburg County officials said.
The burn started around noon and smoke was visible north and west of Charlotte. Mecklenburg County Natural Resources said smoke will affect air quality in areas that are downwind from the fire for 2-3 hours.
Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich said on Tuesday this is the prime season for controlled burns. Wildlife management teams will schedule controlled burns to eliminate any dry brush and vegetation from the winter season in an effort to reduce the risk of wildfires.
"You're going to a see a lot of these," Panovich said. "The point is to burn and use up that low-level vegetation without getting out of control."
On Tuesday, a controlled burn in the South Mountain State Park area led to several reports of smoke west of Charlotte. Panovich explained that it's common to see controlled burns across the Carolinas this time of year before the spring growing season really gets rolling.
"We're coming out of the winter season with the dormant vegetation, there's a lot of that out there, we call it fuel," Panovich said.
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