Sawmills act to relieve wildfire threat from Hurricane Helene debris

Sawmills are moving to recycle trees blown down by Hurricane Helene to assistance wildland firefighters portion boosting home timber production. 

Many of the trees downed by the tempest are usable, according to Johnny Evans, proprietor of Evens Lumber Co. successful Manchester, Tennessee. About 6% of the lumber produced astatine his installation comes from trees that fell during earthy disasters.

"It's a assets that God gave us, and we request to recycle it alternatively of letting it rot into the ground," Evans said. "If we don't get those dormant trees retired of the forest, past you're going to person a wood fire. Then it's going to hitch retired each your bully timber arsenic good arsenic your dormant timber."

There person been at slightest 8 wildfires successful areas ravaged by Hurricane Helene since the tempest ripped done the Great Smoky Mountains successful September. 

Sawmills are stepping successful to wide forests of imaginable wildfire substance near by Hurricane Helene debris. (Fox News)

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The Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Forestry Division estimated it could instrumentality astatine slightest 3 years for the thickest trees downed by Hurricane Helene to adust retired capable to go imaginable wildfire fuel. However, those trees tin inactive hinder firefighting efforts by getting successful the mode of bulldozers utilized to make firelines. 

About 220 acres were burned successful a January wildfire successful Old Fort, North Carolina 4 months aft Hurricane Helene ripped done the region.  (Fox News)

"Those trees are determination conscionable blocking the dozers. So we person to nonstop successful crews to wide a way for the dozers, which is mode slower than what we would ideally privation to person happen," Megan Carpenter, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Forestry Division, said. 

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture pitched successful $23 cardinal to wide dormant trees from high-risk wildfire zones crossed the country. The dormant trees volition past beryllium sold to wood processing facilities to beryllium consolidated into ungraded enrichment materials, operation materials, vigor sources and paper. The USDA said the effort would destruct imaginable substance for aboriginal wildfires portion supporting a March executive bid signed by President Trump to boost home timber accumulation by 25%. 

Sawmills tin recycle Hurricane Helene debris into mulch, operation materials, ungraded enrichment materials and paper.  (Fox News)

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High-risk firesheds volition beryllium cleared retired archetypal to support already-vulnerable communities. The U.S. Forest Service is simplifying the permitting and contracting process for sawmills looking to entree the timber supply.