In September 2024, Hurricane Helene swept through Western North Carolina, leaving a lasting impact on farms, forests, and rural communities. Torrential rains and high winds stripped fertile topsoil from fields, flooded creeks and valleys, and littered once-thriving forests with downed trees and broken biomass. For many landowners and farmers in the region, the storm brought more than just short-term damage—it created a long-term fire risk and threatened the very health of our soils.
To help address this challenge, CharGrow is exploring a regional recovery project that uses mobile pyrolysis plants—also known as biochar machines—to convert fallen timber into high-quality biochar, while also creating strategic fire breaks to protect homes and forests from future wildfire threats.
The Aftermath: A Biomass Burden and Fire Hazard
Helene’s devastation left mountainsides and low-lying valleys with excessive biomass: toppled trees, branches, and brush that now dry in the sun, becoming a growing fire hazard. This sudden overload of organic matter poses dual threats:
- Increased wildfire risk as deadwood accumulates.
- Limited land access for both recreation and recovery.
Many private landowners now face the costly and labor-intensive task of clearing forested land to mitigate these risks. Rather than sending that biomass to landfills or burn piles, CharGrow sees an opportunity to convert waste into a resource.
Enter Mobile Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is a thermal process that converts biomass into biochar, a stable form of carbon that enhances soil health, retains water, and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers. Traditionally, pyrolysis has relied on stationary plants, but recent advancements now make mobile pyrolysis units a viable solution—especially in rugged or rural landscapes like the Appalachians.
Deploying these mobile units directly to damaged areas allows us to:
- Minimize transportation costs by processing wood onsite.
- Reduce environmental impact by avoiding open burning or chipping.
- Create biochar where it’s needed most—on local farms and eroded fields.
These reactors can be staged near heavily damaged areas, where crews clearing fire breaks or storm-damaged forestland can feed waste wood directly into the machines.
A Regional Win-Win
This approach offers a regenerative strategy with multiple benefits:
- Wildfire resilience: Strategic clearing creates defensible space for communities.
- Soil regeneration: Biochar produced can be returned to fields to replace stripped topsoil and reintroduce microbial life.
- Economic development: Jobs in land management, machine operation, and soil restoration.
Building Partnerships for a Pilot Project
CharGrow is currently in early-stage conversations with local landowners, forest stewards, and agricultural partners about piloting this approach in hard-hit parts of Western North Carolina. Our goal is to demonstrate how thoughtful use of mobile pyrolysis technology can help turn natural disasters into long-term resilience strategies.
We’re especially interested in partnering with:
- Private landowners with damaged forest tracts
- Local governments interested in fire mitigation
- Nonprofits focused on sustainable land management
- Farmers in need of soil restoration materials
Looking Ahead
Nature can be both destructive and generous. The same storm that stripped our land bare also left behind the raw materials for rebuilding healthier, more resilient ecosystems. At CharGrow, we’re committed to helping our region not only recover—but regenerate.
If you’re interested in learning more or exploring how a mobile pyrolysis partnership could help your land or community, contact us today.
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