Wild fires are a common site across South Carolina. Each year more than 4000 wildfires destroy lives and property. South Carolina Forestry Commission Senior Staff Forester Mike Bozzo says it’s a problem many people overlook.
"People, if the fire is not in their backyard, they seem to forget that... and so it's a continual battle," says Bozzo.
And the battle continues to get tougher thanks to budget cuts. Every state agency is feeling the pinch, but the forestry commission is taking a huge hit. Just two years ago, its budget was 18 million dollars. By July of this year, it may drop below ten million.
Fewer dollars means fewer firefighters spread out over a larger area with longer response times. Positions vacated by retirements won’t be filled.
Old equipment, like the John Deere 450 dozer, may not be replaced for years. The normal replacement cycle for old equipment is 15 ears. Now, that cycle may be extended anywhere from 18 to 20 plus years. Officials say some firefighters might be younger than the machines they are driving.
"Our firefighting force is stretched thinner,” says Bozzo. “We’ve not been able to replace equipment in the last several years and as equipment becomes older and less dependent. And so we're not anxious to put older equipment in front of a full raging fire and put our fire fighters in danger."
"It's only a matter of time until we have more significant large fires happening here that cause a lot of damage and damage homes," says Darryl Jones, South Carolina Forestry Commission Fire Protection Chief.
Jones says the ever-growing number of new developments popping up next to high risk areas increases the chance for more destructive fires similar to 2009’s Horry County wildfire. That wildfire scorched nearly 20,000 acres and destroyed 76 homes.
"The conditions are stacking up for us to have that again at some point. It may not be this year, but we know it's going to happen again," says Jones.
If several major fires break out at once, the agency may have to rely on Georgia and North Carolina for back-up. In a time when the financial well is dry, SCFC is following the weather patterns and distributing its best equipment and personnel throughout the state to anticipate Mother Nature’s next move.
"As our firefighters become more depleted and further apart, the response time is going to be greater,” says Bozzo. “So loss in acreage and property may increase over the years if our budget is not increased and able to fill vacancies."
The state’s forestry commission is charged with protecting the state’s number one manufacturing industry: timber. Forestry officials say the lower budget may scare away non-South Carolina based businesses due to a perceived lack of commitment by the state.
Bozzo says many of the timber companies across the state have reduced their internal firefighting measures and now rely on the agency to protect their interests. This adds greater strain to an already weakened forestry commission.
An SCFC spokesperson says the agency is doing its best to adapt to tough economic times. It’s a tough balance between preparation and day-to-day fire analysis.
