What is Wildland Fire Use?
Wildland Fire Use is the management of naturally ignited fires to achieve resource benefits, where fire is a major component of the ecosystem. Many natural resource values can be enhanced by allowing fire to play its natural role where private property and social values can be protected.
For centuries lightning caused fires have created vegetative diversity, such as a mixture of wildlife habitats, while eliminating heavy fuel accumulation. Wildland fire use can be managed to burn in a natural way to provide benefits to the resources until fall rain or snow storms put it out. Wildland fires are a fact of western life - a natural component of the ecosystem in which we live.
Wildland Fire Use on the Sequoia National Forest
Fire officials continue to monitor lightning-caused fires located in backcountry areas of the Sequoia National Forest that pose no threat to the giant sequoias, life or personal property. These fires are being managed for ecological benefit as "Wildland Fire Use (WFU) fires."
"Wildland Fire Use is a tool that allows us to manage naturally ignited wildland fires to achieve certain resource benefits, reduce future suppression costs, and to the extent possible, restore natural ecological processes," says Forest Fire Management Officer (FMO) Aaron Gelobter.
According to Gelobter, the fires are being monitored closely each day using Fire Lookouts, field observers and reconnaissance aircraft to ensure the fire effects are appropriate, and there are no threats to communities or public and firefighter safety. If fire managers determine the fires can no longer be managed as wildland fire use projects, they will initiate immediate suppression action, he added.
A listing that includes start date, number of acres, and the status of wildland fire projects on the Sequoia National Forest. 
Photograpy of several wildland fire use fires on the Sequoia National Forest.
Fire can be used for resource benefits. At this link there is information on how that can be accomplished.
This web site provides real-time smoke concentration data from portable smoke monitors. The link will open in a new window.
The link will take you to a site sponsored by the Forest Service and the National Park Service. The page provides a definition of terms used in fire management and will open in a new window.
Make A Map! The Forest Service participates in Cooperative Fire Management Agreements with other Federal and State agencies. The SSGIC is an example of agencies that cooperate in sharing geographic informations system (GIS) data for seamless coverages of fire and fuels maps. This site allows you to download fire information within the Kaweah, Kern, Kings, Caliente, Mohave and Tule watersheds. The link will open in a new window.
