Overview and Prescribed Burn Resources
Prescribed fire (or controlled burning) is the application of fire to a predetermined area of land. It is a tool used by natural resource managers and others to accomplish specific management objectives. These objectives can include wildfire hazard reduction, ecosystem restoration, wildlife habitat improvement, site preparation and reducing plant competition. Fire helps manage weeds and other vegetation and thus helps to reduce the risk of wildfires, but it also can help restore nutrients and help lead to more desirable plant growth in the future. Woodlands, prairies, and wetlands are all natural communities where prescribed fire is used.
Almost all state and federal natural resource agencies across the Southern region use prescribed burning as a land management tool. A plethora of information is available from these agencies. A few of their prescribed burning websites are included below, where you can go for more information:
USDA Forest Service Prescribed Fire
Prescribed fires, also known as prescribed burns or controlled burns, refer to the controlled application of fire by a team of fire experts under specified weather conditions to restore health to ecosystems that depend on fire.
NRCS Prescribed Burning
Prescribed burning is applying controlled fire to a predetermined area of land.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Fire Management
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has assumed a leadership role in the use of fire to maintain and support healthy ecosystems. The Service has traditionally led DOI agencies in using prescribed fire to reduce dangerously overgrown vegetation, known as "hazardous fuels," keeping lands in good condition while accomplishing the most with the least funding.
National Park Service Wildfires, Prescribed Fires, and Fuels
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), located in Boise, Idaho, is the nation's support center for wildland firefighting. Eight different agencies and organizations are part of NIFC. Decisions are made and priorities set through close interagency cooperation. The National Park Service’s Division of Fire and Aviation Management (FAM) is located at NIFC and is the National Park Service’s national office that provides policy guidance, management, and oversight for the Wildland Fire Management, Structural Fire Management, and Aviation Management programs in the national parks.
