Few accomplishments are as rewarding as waking up in the morning and hitting your target weight. You've worked hard to drop those unwanted pounds all year long, and you deserve a huge round of applause for what you've accomplished. However, if you're like many men and women, getting the sleek, sculpted body you crave is easier said than done. You've got pockets of unwanted fat around your abdomen, thighs, chin, and other areas - fat that just won't go away, despite diet and exercise.
Wouldn't it be nice to just freeze that fat away and forget all about your love handles?
At Southern Cosmetic Laser, our new, revolutionary fat-freezing treatment can help you achieve the toned look you've been dreaming of. That's right - we're talking about literally freezing the unwanted fat off your problem areas without invasive surgeries or extended downtime.
This amazing treatment is called CoolSculpting, and it's the world's leading non-invasive fat reduction procedure. It's specifically designed for people already at their desired weight who want to push past that plateau for real body sculpting results. If you're tired of seeing that excess belly fat, saggy skin, or double chin, CoolSculpting is the procedure for you. Southern Cosmetic Laser offers a wide range of the newest technologies to target fat reduction, skin tightening, facial and body remodeling, body toning, and cellulite reduction.
CoolSculpting is an FDA-approved procedure that has undeniable results. With CoolSculpting, you can permanently get rid of your muffin top, fat around your flanks, and more, all from the comfort and convenience of the Southern Cosmetic Laser office.
Technically known as cryolipolysis, CoolSculpting has the ability to reduce the number of fat cells in targeted areas between 20 and 25%. This unique technology uses controlled cooling to freeze and eliminate fat with minimal recovery time. No needles, no scalpels, no liposuction. Just real results provided by a licensed, experienced professional.
While CoolSculpting helps eliminate fat cells in your body, it doesn't harm the surrounding skin and muscles. Instead, it treats fat that is directly under the skin, also called subcutaneous fat. Since CoolSculpting doesn't target visceral fat deposits, this treatment works best for men and women who are approaching or already at their desired weight.
CoolSculpting is approved by the FDA to help reduce fat in the following areas:
CoolSculpting results are noticeable, proven, and long-lasting, helping you look your best and feel great from every angle. This exciting procedure works because fat cells freeze at higher temps than other tissues. As such, CoolSculpting delivers controlled, targeted cooling to do away with unwanted fat underneath your skin. These fat cells are essentially frozen or crystallized and eventually die. With time, your body will process that fat and will eliminate the dead cells, leaving behind a more sculpted physique.
Here are some quick CoolSculpting facts at a glance, so you have a better idea of why this fat cell elimination treatment is so popular:
Our CoolSculpting procedure is crafted around your comfort, with one-on-one attention in a relaxing atmosphere. It all starts with a detailed assessment, which you will complete prior to your treatment. This assessment will help us better understand your goals and desires, so we can freeze away the stubborn fat from the areas that matter most.
Typical CoolSculpting appointments take about an hour per area, though that time varies with each patient. Because our CoolSculpting applicators use a vacuum system to help with placement, you may feel a pulling sensation in the targeted area. Once placement is complete, we get to work on freezing your fat.
Before treatment, your skin is prepped with an alcohol wipe. A gel pad is then placed on your treatment area to help protect your skin. From there, a cold sensation is delivered through our applicators, which are designed for specific body parts.
Because there is no sedation involved with CoolSculpting, we encourage you to kick back, relax, and watch a little TV. If you prefer, you can also read or use your phone to check your favorite social media sites. Our friendly, experienced CoolSculpting technicians strive to keep you as comfy as possible during this quick treatment. When it's over, you can resume normal activities as soon as you like - there's no recovery or downtime to worry about!
CoolSculpting procedures are perhaps best known for eliminating stubborn belly fat, giving the patient a desirable, contoured tummy. However, this treatment is also very effective on other areas of your body:
While neck fat usually goes hand-in-hand with weight gain, symptoms like double chins can appear even if you're not overweight. CoolSculpting helps solve neck fat problems by eliminating fat cells in the area below your chin, giving you a slim, youthful appearance.
Many men and women begin CoolSculpting treatments to destroy fat around the abdomen or midsection. CoolSculpting does so by freezing stubborn subcutaneous fat in the abdominal region, resulting in a trimmed-up tummy. Remember, CoolSculpting does not treat visceral fat, or the fatty tissue surrounding the organs in your abdomen.
Back fat is a serious problem for many people in the U.S. This includes the upper back (where fat rolls over the bra), the mid-back (near the waist), and the lower back (where fat bulges over the beltline). Back fat can be hard to tone, but with CoolSculpting from Southern Cosmetic Laser in Folly Beach, it's more than possible.
When it comes to stubborn fat, your upper arms are often the most difficult areas to treat. If you are constantly trying to hide your upper arms from friends and family, CoolSculpting is an excellent option to help overcome your insecurity.
Sometimes called saddlebags or flanks, love handles are the flabby areas that protrude from your hips. Love handles are often caused by fat retention over long periods of time. They can appear very pronounced in tight clothing, leading to feelings of embarrassment. Common factors that contribute to love handles are age, slow metabolism, hormones, and diets high in sugars and fats. With Southern Cosmetic Laser's CoolSculpting, patients leave behind stubborn love handles, helping them achieve a slimmer, more fit appearance.
If you are in good shape but suffer from chafing or discomfort due to fatty thighs, your solution could be at Southern Cosmetic Laser. Our technicians can help freeze away inner thigh fat, so you feel proud to wear skirts, shorts, and bikinis.
Q: Does CoolSculpting really work?
A: Yes! Southern Cosmetic Laser wouldn't be one of the most trusted providers of the treatment if it didn't work. According to recent statistics, CoolSculpting treatments can reduce fat reduction by as much as 25% in the affected area. Contact our office today for your initial consultation, where our team will advise you on how many treatments you need to meet your goals.
Q: How much does CoolSculpting cost?
A: Pricing varies depending on the areas you focus on and how many sessions you need in order to reach your goals. Our team will craft a custom treatment plan specific to you during your initial CoolSculpting consultation.
Q: How quickly will I see results?
A: Many patients can see results as soon as three weeks after their first CoolSculpting procedure in Folly Beach. As your body continues to dispose of crystallized fat cells, you can see even more changes with time.
Q: Does CoolSculpting eliminate cellulite?
A: CoolSculpting is designed for fat reduction. However, it may help contribute to cellulite reduction in specific treatment areas. There are currently no FDA clearances for cellulite reduction with CoolSculpting. However, our office offers incredible treatments like Inmode Evolve to reduce the appearance of cellulite and trim, tighten, and tone your skin.
Q: Why should I choose Southern Cosmetic Laser for CoolSculpting in Folly Beach?
A: Southern Cosmetic Laser is a CoolSculpting certified practice and has completed advanced training at the CoolSculpting University. With a highly-trained staff of medical professionals, we're one of the leading providers of CoolSculpting in South Carolina. We know that peace of mind is precious these days. That's why we're committed to you and your body contouring transformation every step of the way.
We are a full-service practice offering Medical Aesthetics and Cosmetic Dermatology services. As such, Southern Cosmetic Laser has several innovative treatments that complement your CoolSculpting procedure. Whether you're looking to tighten up that turkey neck or say goodbye to cellulite, we've got a custom treatment option waiting for you.
Southern Cosmetic Laser is Folly Beach's first medical aesthetics practice to offer Sentient Sculpt. This exciting new product reduces fat, remodels skin tissue, and regenerates skin collagen, leaving your skin tight and smooth.
Using microwave technology, Sentient Sculpt uses up to 80% of the energy generated to penetrate fat under your skin. This process destroys fat cells and the fibrous bands that cause dimples, or cellulite. The remaining 20% of energy is used on the upper layers of your skin, tightening and contracting it to improve its overall appearance.
Sentient Sculpt benefits include:
Contact Southern Cosmetic Laser today to learn more about the benefits of Sentient Sculpt and how it can be paired with CoolSculpting treatments.
If you're ready to kiss that double chin goodbye, Kybella could be the solution you need. Kybella is a treatment that deoxycholic acid that breaks down fat cells when injected into the treatment area. It provides noticeable results for improved chin profile.
Kybella Benefits Include:
Inmode Evoke is the first and only FDA-approved, non-invasive product for facial remodeling treatment. Evoke offers tightening and lifting for facial rejuvenation and can help you achieve a more defined neck and jawline.
The Evoke Intelligence System regulates temperature and sense impedance every millisecond, providing remarkable results. Using proven bipolar radiofrequency energy, Evoke sub-dermally remodels your facial tissue. The Evoke technology offers precise, consistent power to achieve optimal results.
This advanced, state-of-the-art Thermal Body Contouring Technology helps to trim, tighten, & tone your skin at the same time. Evolve's cutting-edge tech can destroy fat, reduce cellulite, and tighten skin. The result? A newfound, youthful appearance and feel. This treatment is perfect for your mommy makeover, eliminating muffin tops, sculpting abs, and addressing fat around your thighs, belly, arms, legs, hips, and knees.
Benefits of Inmode Evolve include:
Contact Southern Cosmetic Laser today to learn more about the benefits of Inmode Evolve and how it can be paired with CoolSculpting treatments.
When it comes to unmatched patient care and body contouring services in Folly Beach, no other practice comes close to Southern Cosmetic Laser. We pour passion into every service we offer, from non-surgical fat cell freezing to laser hair removal. If you're looking to make a change for the better this year, we're here to make your wishes a reality. Contact our office today to learn more about the stunning benefits of CoolSculpting technology. Before you know it, you'll be excited to show off that new bathing suit or bikini on the beach.
843-277-2240FOLLY BEACH — It’s been an expensive task for this beach city to keep its head above water in recent years.Fresh loads of sand have been dumped five times on Folly Beach in the last three decades, a feat totaling $77 million in federal tax dollars and local funds arranged from the city, according to data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.The federal government has allocated another $27 million for the emergency replacement of the equivalent of 90,000 dump truck loads of sand here in early 2024.A number of...
FOLLY BEACH — It’s been an expensive task for this beach city to keep its head above water in recent years.
Fresh loads of sand have been dumped five times on Folly Beach in the last three decades, a feat totaling $77 million in federal tax dollars and local funds arranged from the city, according to data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The federal government has allocated another $27 million for the emergency replacement of the equivalent of 90,000 dump truck loads of sand here in early 2024.
A number of factors have contributed to the frequent erosion seen on the beach. Scientists believe climate change, sea level rise and increasing storminess is at play.
But Folly Beach is a special in the eyes of the federal government because it is located down drift of the Charleston Harbor and its federally created jetties. These underwater rock walls span three miles into the water from the shorelines of Sullivan’s and Morris islands. They trap sand around Sullivan’s Island which prohibits the sand from flowing naturally down to Folly Beach, said Nicole Elko, president of Elko Coastal Consulting.
“For that reason, the only addition of sand that Folly receives is from renourishment,” said Elko, who is working as a consultant for Folly Beach.
The last few coastal storms to reach South Carolina took a toll on Folly Beach, too. Emergency renourishments were done in 2005 because of destruction from Hurricane Ophelia and in 2018 because of hurricanes Irma and Matthew.
Folly Beach lost a good bit of sand during Ian last year, too. And the city had already hit its renourishment triggers prior to the storm.
The process for renourishment is tedious and includes several steps. Engineering and design plans need to be on par before crews begin the work.
But once ready, contractors use a vacuum-like drill to agitate sand down at the seabed of a body of water. The sand then makes its way through the dredge itself. And depending on the distance from the selected seabed to the shore, the sand can be pumped directly on the beach.
CONWAY — Starting next year, hurricane evacuations in South Carolina will be different.
There are still clearly defined coastal areas that can be ordered to evacuate by the governor when a storm approaches. But for the first time in over a decade, those zones have been redrawn. Local emergency management officials maintain the changes reflect the impact of recent hurricanes.
“The current (evacuation) zones are set up on a snapshot of a worst-possible-case scenario that we could have, and they’re really a little bit far-fetched,” said Randy Webster, Horry County’s assistant administrator over public safety. “Let’s try to make it a little more real … what we more likely would see and (are) more likely to encounter with an approaching hurricane, no matter what the size was.”
The state’s eight coastal counties contain predesignated zones that are assigned a letter, A through H. When a storm approaches, state and local officials discuss whether an evacuation is needed in any or all of those zones.
During smaller storms, it might only be necessary to evacuate people living in zones closest to the coast. In stronger storms, some of the more inland zones might need to be evacuated.
An evacuation order hasn’t been issued for the coast since Hurricane Dorian caused widespread damage in the state in 2019. At that time, Gov. Henry McMaster urged 830,000 residents of multiple coastal counties to leave their homes.
The new zones focus on communities that would likely be impacted by storm surge, the invasion of water that a hurricane brings when it churns ashore. Evacuations are based on that surge, not the impacts of wind or rain.
The new maps were created using surge grid data from the National Hurricane Center. Recent hurricanes such as Matthew in 2016 and Florence in 2018 shaped the maps, along with input from local officials.
All areas of the Palmetto State coastline will see changes to their hurricane evacuation zone maps. State and local officials plan to promote and distribute the new maps starting in January.
Charleston County emergency management officials declined to discuss their new maps, saying they were still being finalized. They also didn’t want to confuse people who are following the current maps this hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30.
Brandon Ellis, the emergency services director in Georgetown County, said some of that county’s zones shifted to avoid unnecessarily evacuating people.
For example, Georgetown County’s Zone A, which traditionally included areas east of U.S. Highway 17 from the South Santee River to the Horry County line and low-lying areas along the county’s rivers, is often the only zone evacuated for a storm. Now that zone is smaller to better account for the homes that would actually be affected. Other zones have also been adjusted.
The concern is that over-evacuating leads to complacency, with people seeing an order as another false alarm. When a serious threat arrives and an evacuation order is issued, officials want people to leave.
“There’s a lot at stake,” Ellis said. “The better defined the zones are, the better our evacuation timing is, the better identified the evacuating population is. It just makes for a much more efficient and effective process in ensuring that we’re getting folks out of harm’s way that need to move.”
Horry County’s maps saw similar changes. Zone A has been reduced to narrow stretches of oceanfront on the east side of North/South Highway 17, stretching from the state line down to Myrtle Beach. Within Myrtle Beach, zones A and B only include a few oceanfront streets to the east of and along North Kings Highway. The rest of the city to the west of thT Highway is no longer within an evacuation zone.
The only other areas within Zone A and B outside of Myrtle Beach now include Surfside Beach and Garden City, stretching down to the county line.
Zone C has been significantly reduced, now limited to an area between U.S. 17 Business and U.S. 701 South. The new zone goes as far north as U.S. Highway 501 and as far south as the county line, according to the new map.
Jonah Chester and Charles Perry contributed to this report.
FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC) - The city of Folly Beach revisited its short-term rental ordinance, with its first reading before the council at Tuesday’s meeting.This time last year, the city voted to cap rentals like condos and Airbnbs to 800 across the island, but some residents still have concerns.Residents are divided about the ordinance.Some are still concerned about the r...
FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC) - The city of Folly Beach revisited its short-term rental ordinance, with its first reading before the council at Tuesday’s meeting.
This time last year, the city voted to cap rentals like condos and Airbnbs to 800 across the island, but some residents still have concerns.
Residents are divided about the ordinance.
Some are still concerned about the rental cap affecting potential investments while others approve of the cap and feel it prevents disruptive renters.
During the work session the council clarified the language as far as how many nights a property can be rented for, waitlist and rental license requirements, and adding definitions to the ordinance to give it more structure.
What did not change was the cap of 800 for short-term rentals.
“This is an ordinance, and it’s like all ordinances everywhere. It never goes away, it’s always there. It can be amended many, many times going forward,” Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin said. “As time goes on, and you see where you are and you say okay, well, A is not really where you want to be. We want to be over here at C. So, you can make an amendment to get you where you need to be.”
Last year more than 1,200 people turned out to vote for or against the short-term rental cap. Ultimately, 655 residents voted for the cap and 577 against it.
Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin was among those who voted for the cap.
It will take several years for current short-term rentals to dwindle down to 800 from either people selling their property or no longer renewing their licenses.
“We’re trying to create a balance, and this is a compromise so everybody is not happy as you heard some of the council people alluded to that tonight,” Goodwin said. “Give a little take a little. Nobody’s going to be completely happy with what you’re doing, but that’s what happens and in politics that’s probably the best place you can be.”
There will be a second reading next Tuesday to discuss any further amendments.
Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.
The spirited island hamlet south of Charleston shakes off mainland sophistication in favor of flip-flops and cash-only dive bars.It's only twelve miles south of Charleston's historic homes and manicured window boxes, but the salty little town of Folly Beach ditches the Holy City's refinement in favor of an easygoing, barefoot sensibilit...
The spirited island hamlet south of Charleston shakes off mainland sophistication in favor of flip-flops and cash-only dive bars.
It's only twelve miles south of Charleston's historic homes and manicured window boxes, but the salty little town of Folly Beach ditches the Holy City's refinement in favor of an easygoing, barefoot sensibility that feels a bit more California than Carolina. Known to locals as the Edge of America, Folly is everything a beach town should be. Surf shops line the main drag; cover-ups count as appropriate lunch attire; and nobody takes themselves too seriously (they drop a pair of LED-lit flip-flops to celebrate New Year's Eve). Here's where to stay, eat, relax, and play in South Carolina's super chill surf town.
Every single room at Tides Folly Beach comes with an ocean view. Perched at the end of Center Street, the town's main thoroughfare, the hotel is steps from both the beach and an array of local shops and eateries. For families looking to stretch out a bit more, there are a boatload of rentals to choose from: Opt for ocean-front properties that will sleep a crowd or cozy cottages with marsh and Folly River views. And for people who wouldn't dream of traveling without their four-legged companions, there are plenty of pet-friendly rentals too.
You won't go hungry on this island. Lost Dog Café is a local staple, serving coffee and all-day breakfast; don't miss the eggs Benedict, which they top with fried green tomatoes. Fish tacos, Vietnamese-inspired lettuce wraps, and Cuban sandwiches all have a place on the colorful menu at Chico Feo, where the vibe is equally colorful. Don't let the easygoing atmosphere fool you: Rita's Seaside Grille is serious about its food...and its cocktails. Try one of the Signature Crushes, fruity sippers with flavored liquors that pack a punch. End the night at Sand Dollar Social Club, a dive bar where you're invited to come as you are, so long as you're a member; membership costs $1, so bring your cash (you won't find a credit card machine here).
The island's six miles of beachfront are its main attraction, and it'd be easy to while away a week with no plans beyond putting your toes in the sand. Spend a day shelling, sunning, surfing, or searching for shark teeth. Enjoy oceanfront views while lunching at BLU Beach Bar and Grill. At the northern end of Folly Beach, the Morris Island Lighthouse provides a stunning backdrop from the shore. Get a closer look from the Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve or via kayak. Several guided tours leave from Folly Beach to visit Morris Island for shelling, photography, and lighthouse history. The historic lighthouse is not open for viewing. How close you can get to the lighthouse depends on the tides.
For those looking to build an action-packed itinerary, there are plenty of activities that highlight the destination's natural beauty: Book a guided kayak tour or rent a stand-up paddleboard to explore the tidal creeks; stop by McKevlin's Surf Shop, South Carolina's oldest surfing outfitter, before catching some of the area's best waves at The Washout; and plan to make a trip with your fishing poles to check out the beloved Folly Beach Pier that has reopened after extensive renovations.
South Carolina is famous for its beaches, but I didn鈥檛 know them. Folly Beach, which I discovered looking for escape from a dark, grueling New York City winter, advertised exceptional surf breaks and beach town tradition. Yeah, I thought, Folly Beach! Brilliant water, four-generation family beach houses, surfer subculture, and only one bridge on and off the island; my Southern friends were surprised I鈥檇 found it.I missed kicking off the new year with the 鈥淏ill Murray look-alike鈥� polar bear plunge, fo...
South Carolina is famous for its beaches, but I didn鈥檛 know them. Folly Beach, which I discovered looking for escape from a dark, grueling New York City winter, advertised exceptional surf breaks and beach town tradition. Yeah, I thought, Folly Beach! Brilliant water, four-generation family beach houses, surfer subculture, and only one bridge on and off the island; my Southern friends were surprised I鈥檇 found it.
I missed kicking off the new year with the 鈥淏ill Murray look-alike鈥� polar bear plunge, for which one dresses like a favorite Murray character and runs into the ocean. Motto: Freeze your balls off! No matter, I was just happy to find it was 20 degrees warmer than New York, and empty except for year-round people and diehard surfers. End to end, Folly is only six miles聽of wide beaches broken and protected by a series of jetties, and I planned to walk them all.
My rented house faced 鈥淭he Washout,鈥� a long beach break that got rowdy during storm swells and on windy days when the blow whipped up classic, rolling surf. A 20-minute walk up the beach was the Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve with nesting sites for threatened loggerhead turtles. A local said you could find shark鈥檚 teeth there, but I never really looked. Off the beach, was marshland and maritime forest with stopover and winter roosting sites for flyway birds including the endangered piping plovers that I saw.
If I walked west, I would end up at Folly Beach County Park, acres of bone-white sand and scrub dunes bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the wide (at that point) Folly River. A day-tripper magnet between Memorial Day and Labor Day, it was now almost deserted except for people walking with dogs (only allowed in winter).
I had been warned about the weather, but on some of my best days the rain would come and go several times, leaving a freshness on the magnolias that perfumed the salt air coming off the water. My backyard had magnolias, too, and two stands of 60-foot palmetto palms with large fronds, as well as hemlocks with dense green umbrella tops鈥� excellent nesting cover for the robins, mockingbirds, and woodpeckers that fed on the palmetto cones and seeds. A swinging back gate opened onto wetlands that rose and fell with the tide.
By the time my month was up, the lessons of Folly would stay with me in the specifics. The birds and the trees and the long beach walks, learning the tides, the endlessly changing rhythms of the Atlantic. The way the sun would rise over the wetlands just outside my back gate, where early one morning I saw a family of raccoons, perhaps heading for the preserve.
Driving north over the Folly River Bridge at the end of my month, I knew that hordes would descend all summer and surfers would complain it was too crowded just to go left. But those high-season inconveniences weren鈥檛 my concern. For a month in the middle of winter, Folly was the perfect beach.
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Terry McDonell is a media executive, literary editor, and published author. He has won numerous awards for his editorial work at various magazines and websites and has written and produced for film and television. Known for his acclaimed book The Accidental Life, McDonell returned to memoir with his most recent book, Irma: The Education of a Mother鈥檚 Son.
This article appears in the Winter 2023 issue of Southbound.
Giant swaths of sand were washed away on Charleston-area beaches as a result of this week’s nor’easter, officials reported. Folly Beach, the Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island and Kiawah Island — sites expected to be filled with tourists this summer — were especially hard hit.Folly Beach’s sand dunes were pushed back as much...
Giant swaths of sand were washed away on Charleston-area beaches as a result of this week’s nor’easter, officials reported. Folly Beach, the Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island and Kiawah Island — sites expected to be filled with tourists this summer — were especially hard hit.
Folly Beach’s sand dunes were pushed back as much as 20 feet. Kiawah Island reported up to 50 feet of erosion, with the highest erosion rates occurring around delicate Captain Sam’s Spit.
The Isle of Palms recorded beach erosion without providing specific measurements.
“We had a little bit of a buffer going into this thing that there’s really not much buffer left anywhere,” said Eric Lutz, director of public works on Folly Beach in discussing the tons of sand lost there.
He added that without the sand dunes that were there, damage on the island would have been worse.
Dunes offer protection from flooding and are meant to be “sacrificial,” he said.
“They’re doing what they’re supposed to do, but it is pretty catastrophic to the naked eye when you walk on the beach and see it,” Lutz added.
On Sullivan’s Island, a nearly 10-foot tide and churning waves battered the dunes and covered Thompson Park, the historic site of a Revolutionary War battle, washing away sand. Officials closed access to the park as a result.
“The dunes were beat up pretty bad by the high tide and the wave action, so we saw a loss of the dune in many areas on the beach,” Sullivan’s Island Town Administrator Andy Benke said.
As of the afternoon on Dec. 19, several roads on Sullivan’s Island remained flooded with standing water. The town’s stormwater infrastructure was overwhelmed by the heavy rainfall, Benke said, and it could take up to three days for the water in the streets to completely drain away.
COLUMBIA — Though it can sound counterintuitive at first, U.S. Forest Service specialists are going to set parts of South Carolina forests aflame to reduce the threat of fires.
Prescribed burns will be conducted throughout Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests over the next six months, officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Feb. 8. The goal is to remove excess vegetation and dead wood from the natural habitat of plants and animals, which left unchecked could enable wildfires to spread wider, quicker and longer.
“Applying prescribed fire on the land at the right place, at the right time, under the right conditions, benefits the land,” U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Pamela Baltimore said, adding that prescribed burning is “a critical management tool to improve plant and animal habitat and the resiliency of forest landscapes to withstand drought, insects and disease.”
Smoke is likely to appear in various parts of the forests while officials conduct the burns and could spread to nearby communities. Motorists are asked to use their low beams if they notice smoke on the road.
Forest Service fire specialists are planning prescribed burns on 50,000 acres in the Francis Marion National Forest in Charleston and Berkeley counties. Call the district office in Huger at 843-336-2200.
Burns are prescribed for 55,000 acres in Sumter National Forest, broken up into three ranger districts.
The first district’s fire specialists plans to conduct burns on 10,000 acres in Oconee County. Rangers with the second district will conduct burns on 20,000 acres in Chester, Fairfield, Laurens, Newberry and Union counties. The third district covers 25,000 acres across Edgefield, McCormick, Saluda, Abbeville and Greenville counties.