Fire in the Lakes Festival rescheduled

WILMINGTON — An unusual coastal snowfall postponed the Fire in the Lakes Festival, which was set for February 13. Organizers are counting on a better forecast this weekend for the rescheduled event.

The festival at Boiling Spring Lakes Community Center celebrates the importance of controlled burns in Boiling Spring Lakes and the surrounding area. The festival runs Saturday, March 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The highlight of the festival is a demonstration controlled burn to give festival goers the opportunity to see how burns are conducted and learn more about their importance to the ecosystem. Fire equipment will be on display and Smoky Bear is scheduled to be a special guest. Games, food, live music, animals, raffles and face painting are also on the day’s agenda. Children’s games are free with the donation of a non-perishable item for the Boiling Spring Lakes Food Bank. Parking with a 15-minute shuttle service is available at the First Baptist Church at 45 East Boiling Spring Road.

The festival is sponsored by the City of Boiling Spring Lakes, N.C. Division of Forest Resources, N.C. Department of Agriculture, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the Department of Defense and The Nature Conservancy.

Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve, which is managed through controlled burning, comprises half of the incorporated area of the city. The preserve is managed through a partnership with the city, Conservancy and the Department of Agriculture’s Plant Conservation Program.

Fire once occurred regularly across North Carolina. Low-intensity fires burned every few years, fueled by grass, leaves, pine straw, and other forest debris. They kept the forest open, allowing sunlight to penetrate to its floor and reducing buildup of dangerous fuel loads. Fire suppression altered the landscape, allowing fuels to accumulate and putting people and communities in jeopardy.

There are many fire-dependent ecosystems across the state from the mountains to the coast, including most oak and pine forests. Without fire, many native plants and animals will disappear due to lack of food, habitat and conditions needed for them to exist.

INFORMATION FROM A NEWS RELEASE SENT TO THE WWAY NEWSCHANNEL 3 NEWSROOM.