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Wildland Fire Use

What Do You Mean You’re Allowing It to Burn?

Lightning strikes a tree in a remote area of the forest. The fire grows to more than 1000 acres, and you say the forest officials are doing what?! Monitoring the fire and watching it burn. What's happening here? That's a good question.

[Photograph]: Wild Fire Use with Harvey Fire. For more than 100 years, fire has been considered "bad business." The philosophy has been to put it out at all costs no matter what it takes! The truth of the matter is not all fire is bad. In fact, fire is one of the most natural things about nature. Fire enhances the ecosystem's ability to sustain nutrient cycles and regulate productivity. Nutrients released as a result of fires are quickly utilized at the fire site by new vegetation. Our good intentions to suppress all fires have backfired. The current condition of many of the forests is reflective of the absence of fire, which, in turn, enhances the likelihood of wildfire. Over the past few years, the Nation has experienced some of its most devastating wildfires, due in a large part to the condition of the forests; as a result, we are now faced with exorbitant rehabilitation efforts.

Does that mean that any natural start in the forest will be allowed to burn, no matter what? Of course not. Wildland Fire Use is the management of naturally ignited fires to achieve resource benefits where fire has been an important component in the evolution of the ecosystem. Areas of the forest are evaluated well in advance of fire season. Decision criteria are established for each of these areas. As always, the first, and most important, factor in the decision-making process is public and firefighter safety. In other words, in the fire expert's best judgment, will it be safe to allow the fire to burn in order to obtain the ecological benefits. After that consideration, a battery of other criterion must be met in order to utilize fire use management.

Who manages these fires? Nationally, just like fire suppression teams, there are Fire Use Management Teams on call, 24 hours a day. These overhead teams are comprised of long-range planners, fuels management specialists, and fire behavior analysts. Their job is to assess fire potential and manage operations to keep fires within their prescribed borders.

What happens if the fire expands to an area not suitable for wildland fire use? Wildland Fire Use fires are monitored closely; and if they begin to pose problems, they are treated as wildland fires and suppression work begins immediately.

Today, prudent land managers recognize the need for periodic fires to maintain the health of the forest, and they design fire management plans to help restore fire to its natural role. Through the practical use of wildland fire use management, we can maximize the benefits of wildland fire to the ecosystem; and ultimately, reduce the damages and threats to public health and safety.

For more information about wildland fire use management, contact the Mendocino National Forest at (530) 934-3316.

(Page Modified 7/13/06 )

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