Prescribed Fires

Source: U.S. National Park Service

Prescribed fires are planned fires that are also called “controlled burns” or “prescribed burns.” After careful planning, a prescribed fire is lit in an area that will benefit the ecosystem or be used for researching fire behaviors. Prescribed in advance, these fires are ignited and controlled based on the objective, fuels, size of area, and weather conditions. Prescribed fires have become one of the most important tools used to manage fire. While prescribed fires are used to maintain areas of national parks and preserves, they are mainly used to reduce the amount of vegetation (fuels) in areas that could be prone to a wildfire.