Forest fire

Estimated number of fires and acres burned in the North Central Region from 1984-1995:

Although fires cost money to control, endanger lives, and damage property, periodic fires have benefits to natural systems:

	Fire bares mineral soil. Such bare mineral soil is needed by some plant species for their seeds to germinate. Also, some types of seeds need to be heated to high temperatures in order to sprout. Fires also release nutrients as they burn and this has a fertilization effect, allowing vigorous plant regrowth.
Fire impacts succession and helps to maintain the proper habitat conditions for early successional plant species. Grasses, wildflowers, berry plants like blueberries, and tree species like oaks and pines benefit from periodic fires.
	Fire also helps to maintain appropriate habitat for animals associated with the fire-dependent plant species. For example, the endangered Kirtland's Warbler found in Michigan can only survive in the type of young pine ecosystem that is the result of a major disturbance like fire. Once the trees are about 10- 15 years old, the habitat is no longer usable by the birds and they must find a different recently burned area.
Most animals can move fairly easily out of an area that is burning and find shelter in the surrounding ecosystems. They often move back into the burned area to feed on the abundant grasses and other plants that spring up soon after a fire.
	Periodic fires are beneficial because they burn up the dead plant material on the forest floor. When fires are prevented and do not occur for long periods of time, the large amounts of fuel accumulated on the forest floor lead to very dangerous conditions. Any fire that accidentally starts will likely be much larger and hotter than would be the case if only low amounts of fuel were present on the forest floor. Therefore, frequent small fires greatly reduce the possibility of large disastrous fires.