Prescribed Fire
Did you know fire can be good for people and the land? After many years of fire exclusion, an ecosystem that needs periodic fire becomes unhealthy. Trees are stressed by overcrowding; fire-dependent species disappear; and flammable fuels build up and become hazardous. The right fire at the right place at the right time:
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Reduces hazardous fuels, protecting human communities from extreme fires;
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Minimizes the spread of pest insects and disease;
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Removes unwanted species that threaten species native to an ecosystem;
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Provides forage for game;
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Improves habitat for threatened and endangered species;
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Recycles nutrients back to the soil; and
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Promotes the growth of trees, wildflowers, and other plants;
The
Forest Service manages prescribed fires and even
some wildfires to benefit natural resources and reduce the risk of
unwanted wildfires in the future. The agency also uses hand tools and
machines to thin overgrown sites in preparation for the eventual return
of fire.
Specialists write burn plans for prescribed fires.
Burn plans identify – or prescribe – the best conditions
under which trees and other plants will burn to get the best results
safely. Burn plans consider temperature, humidity, wind, moisture
of the vegetation, and conditions for the dispersal of smoke. Prescribed
fire specialists compare conditions on the ground to those outlined
in burn plans before deciding whether to burn on a given day.