Smelling or seeing smoke around the Savannah River area? Here’s why

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is conducting a prescribed burn today, January 30, 2026, with smoke likely to be visible across the Savannah area during the afternoon.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fire crew said it plans to burn Impoundment 5, north of SC 170, beginning at 11 a.m. Friday, January 30, according to refuge officials.

No closures to trails or the wildlife drive will be needed during the burn. However, smoke will be visible in Port Wentworth, Garden City, downtown Savannah, and likely other surrounding areas Friday afternoon, officials say.

Prescribed burns are a common land management practice used by wildlife refuges to maintain healthy ecosystems and reduce the risk of dangerous wildfires.

The Savannah National Wildlife Refuge uses prescribed fires to mimic natural fire cycles that help maintain native plant communities and wildlife habitats. The refuge lies in both Georgia and South Carolina, divided by the Savannah River, and encompasses over 30,000 acres of vital wildlife habitat, including tidal freshwater marsh and bottomland hardwood forest.