Wildland Fire
Home
A collection of information on fire mapping efforts across the Southeastern U.S. and elsewhere in the U.S., with short-term emphasis on the SE FireMap, a new effort funded by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service to 1) investigate fire mapping efforts to date in the U.S. and learn from previous efforts while exploring new or emerging technologies and 2) develop a multi-state fire map for the SE U.S. by 2023 to be used in future decision-support regarding both regional prescribed burn efforts and wildfire risk management.
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.
Wildfire
The Southeast has a complex fire environment unlike any other in the nation. While fire has long played a critical role in the landscapes across the Southeast, it is becoming increasingly difficult for agencies, organizations, and landowners to plan for and respond effectively to wildfire, while protecting vulnerable communities and providing for firefighter safety. The Southeast leads the nation in the number of annual wildland fire events.
Fire Mapping
Maps are an essential tool in fire management because they describe, in a spatial context, factors that help fire managers effectively plan, allocate, and mobilize both suppression and prescribed burn resources. Under Regional Fire Mapping you will find information on the Southeast (SE) FireMap, a project funded by USDA-NRCS and managed by The Endowment for Forestry and Communities and the Longleaf Alliance.
Policies
Principles, policies, and laws from legislatures and agencies provide a structured approach to managing and regulating wildland fire and smoke emissions. However, these are implemented within jurisdictions and at scales that create a patchwork across large landscapes and can impede efforts to manage for wildfire risk and ecological restoration of fire-dependent ecosystems. First, it is important to know and understand what these policies and regulations require. Secondly, we must work collaboratively to address situations where fire management is inadvertently suppressed or eliminated across natural landscapes.
Resources
Wildland fire research is critical to understanding the complexities of how to best manage the natural and human elements of wildland fire. Communicating research findings helps ensure that they are used to inform wildland management across jurisdictions.
Training
Education and training equips professionals to conduct wildland fire management safely and effectively, and ensures they are up to date on the latest information, research, regulations, and policies. A variety of wildland fire training resources are available from state and federal agencies, the Cooperative Extension Service, universities, and other entities.
