Don’t panic: Here is why you’re seeing smoke in Horry County

International Drive was closed for a good portion of Monday as part of a scheduled controlled burn to clear up parts of the forest.

Controlled burns are meant to help the forest, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources website. The burns mimic natural fires, which can help prevent another, uncontrolled forest fire.

Every year SCDNR burns over 30,000 acres in similar controlled fires. According to the website, the department makes sure the conditions are just right so the fire doesn’t get out of hand.

Horry County announced last week it would be closing International Drive Monday morning due to the burn. The road closed in the morning and reopened Monday afternoon.

This story was originally published March 18, 2019 at 1:26 PM.