Prescribed Burning Collection
Prescribed Burning
Prescribed fire, also known as controlled burning, refers to the controlled application of fire to help restore health to fire-adapted environments, benefitting wildlife and timber values. Prescribed fire reintroduces the beneficial effects of fire into an ecosystem, producing the kinds of vegetation and landscapes we want, and reducing the hazard of catastrophic wildfire caused by excessive fuel buildup.
Photo Courtesy of The Longleaf Alliance.
Overview
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.
Prescribed Burn Contractor Database
Many states in the South provide online vendor databases for prescribed burning either on the state forestry agency website, or through the Prescribed Fire Council. On these sites, prescribed burn contractors can add their business to a list where private landowners can then search the database to find a contractor who offers prescribed burning in their area.
Technical and Financial Assistance
Technical and Financial assistance is available to private forest landowners for prescribed burning from a variety of agencies and programs. In many states, state forestry agency professionals and private consultants are available to help burn your land, oftentimes for a fee, but which can be offset through the financial assistance programs.
Prescribed Burn Associations
Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs) are groups of landowners and other interested people who form partnerships to pool their knowledge, equipment, and other resources to conduct prescribed fires. It can be very difficult for private landowners to gain the hands-on training needed to safely and effectively use prescribed fire.
Prescribed Fire Councils
Prescribed Fire Councils (PFCs) allow private landowners, fire practitioners, agencies, non-governmental organizations, policymakers, regulators, and other stakeholders to network and share information related to prescribed fire; however, the purpose of each PFC differs based on their state’s needs.
Practitioner Information
If you are a prescribed fire practitioner, there is a lot of information you need to know. Luckily, if you work for an agency, much of that information will be provided to you. However, if you are new to fire, or do not work for an agency, you can find much of this information online, or gain experience by working with mentors, other practitioners, or Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) members.
Policy and Regulations
Federal fire policy requires that agencies incorporate fire as a critical natural process into their land and resource management plans and activities on a landscape scale and across agency boundaries (NIFC)
Prescribed Burning Multimedia
We'll be storing images and non-training videos here to be shared. Any content posted here is free from copyright infringement concerns and can be shared for educational or other purposes including to create brochures, slide presentations, webinars, etc. Training videos can be found under the Training tab on Wildland Fire.
Prescribed Burning Resources
All files pertaining to controlled or prescribed burning.
