Why do prescribed burns

Controlled burns can also reduce insect populations and destroy invasive plants. In addition, fire can be rejuvenating. It returns nutrient s to the soil in the ashes of vegetation that could otherwise take years to decompose. And after a fire, the additional sunlight and open space in a forest can help young trees and other plants start to grow. Some plants, such as certain pine species, require fire before the cone s or fruits containing the seeds can release them.

These cones or fruits need fire to melt a resin that holds the seeds inside. As a result, without fire these species cannot reproduce. Controlled burns have become more important as fire suppression efforts have grown over the last century.

Historically, smaller fires occurred in forests at regular intervals. When these fires are suppressed, flammable materials accumulate, insect infestations increase, forests become more crowded with trees and underbrush, and invasive plant species move in. Controlled burns seek to accomplish the benefits that regular fires historically provided to an environment while also preventing the fires from burning out of control and threatening life and property.

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Tyson Brown, National Geographic Society. National Geographic Society. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. Whenever practical, sites are divided into multiple burn units so that there is always unburned habitat within the preserve. While an occasional mouse or snake may be harmed in a burn, it is far more common to see a mouse, rabbit, or deer dart through the flames to safety than to see one actually harmed.

Controlled burn participants routinely walk through the burn units afterward to look for injured animals and have learned to burn in a manner that results in very few injuries or mortalities. Photo by Chris Cheng. Through training and experience, the controlled burn crews are able to anticipate problems and take remedial actions that have allowed this program to effectively manage our natural lands while maintaining public and burn participant safety for over 25 years without a single significant incident.

An important element of this is smoke management. Common smoke management considerations include excessive smoke on roadways which creates visibility concerns for motorists, and individuals with health conditions which can be aggravated by smoke such as asthma or allergies. Several strategies exist for minimizing impacts resulting from smoke, including monitoring weather conditions which influence smoke dispersal, altering ignition strategies, and proper site selection the day of the burn.

The scene after a recent burn at Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. Stay up-to-date on the happenings in Will County's forest preserves by subscribing to The Citizen , our weekly digital newsletter that provides subscribers with updates on Forest Preserve news, upcoming events, and other fun and useful information for the whole family.

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Signing up for either newsletter is easy and free of charge. Find the complete series on the Fire subject site. A prescription is a set of conditions that considers the safety of the public and fire staff, weather, and probability of meeting the burn objectives. Prescribed fire is one of the most important tools used to manage fire today. A scientific prescription for each fire, prepared in advance, describes its objectives, fuels, size, the precise environmental conditions under which it will burn, and conditions under which it may be suppressed.

The fire may be designed to create a mosaic of diverse habitats for plants and animals, to help endangered species recover, or to reduce fuels and thereby prevent a destructive fire. Fire and asthma Smoke from fire can be a major trigger for people with asthma and other respiratory conditions. Related links Upcoming prescribed burns Burning on private land The science behind fire How burns are planned Get updates straight to your inbox Using fire to manage native vegetation brochure Fire fuel, behaviour and bushfire risk.

Image gallery. Acknowledgement of Country The Department for Environment and Water acknowledges Aboriginal people as the First Peoples and Nations of the lands and waters we live and work upon and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.