Prescribed Fire Education Options

August Prescribed fire at Webb Center WMA

The benefit from periodic prescribed fire includes the threat reduction of wildfire, and the continued presence of fire in an ecosystem that evolved with it. Bob Franklin of Walterboro recently finished his career with the Clemson Extension, educating landowners about pine tree management using prescribed fire. Franklin now chairs the S.C. Tree Farm Committee, but also works with the S.C. Prescribed Fire Council and the Longleaf Alliance since many of their agendas overlap. 

Prescribed Fire Burning Kit

Private land managers attend Fire Academy

Bob Franklin and Randy Tate are with the Longleaf Alliance

Most recently, Franklin was a speaker at the Longleaf Fire Academy held at the Webb Center WMA in Hampton County. Franklin advises landowners interested in prescribed fire tactics, that the next date to be looking forward to is September 23 – 24 when the S.C. Prescribed Fire Council (SCPFC) comes to Walterboro. The meeting will begin with a field trip on Wednesday to Clarendon Farms in Beaufort hosted by plantation manager Jason Hewett and the SoloACE longleaf partnership.

Landowners using fire should view programs such as the SCPFC meeting and the Longleaf Fire Academy as a form of continuing education, since a lifetime of experiences can be learned when informative speakers share their experiences. Another tool available to landowners is the S.C. Forestry Commission’s program called Certified Prescribed Fire Manager (CPFM). Since state government administers this course, it actually works within state laws to provide some measure of liability protection to those who practice prescribed fire after taking the time to complete the CPFM criteria. 

To view this story in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view a 10-minute video about Longleaf Pine Forests click here.

To view past blog entries about controlled burning click on 2015 Prescribed Fire - Plowing Firebreaks - 2014 Dry Weather Fire Threat - SCDNR Prescribed Fire - 2013 Prescribed Fire - 2012 Prescribed Fire - 2009 Wildfire - 2009 Prescribed Fire Council