2016 Gamekeepers / Winter - Prescribed Fire Associations

Winter is traditional prescribed fire season

You know the old saying of where there is smoke there’s fire? Landowners and land managers are constantly looking for ways to be more effective when using controlled burns, and some new ideas are coming of age to make that happen. Statewide fire councils that once faltered are now blossoming, and prescribed burning association or co-ops are likely the next implementation of that movement.

            
When it comes to prescribed fire it often seems like the deck is stacked against the process with multiple categories of burn days, smoke management concerns and wet weather to contend with. The end result is that the managers with the most prescribed fire experience are conducting the majority of the burning, with the only way left to expand the total acreage under a regime of fire is to get others involved. Since most of the Southeast acreage is private, it makes the most sense to help private landowners to become proficient in the process.

John Weir of Oklahoma State University works with prescribed burn associations in several states. “The top reasons that landowners don’t practice prescribed fire is fear of liability, not having enough knowledge relative to fire, not having enough people to conduct a burn and not having enough equipment to conduct a burn,” said Weir. “But Prescribed Burn Associations can help to manage the risk and get folks out burning more often.”

April Atkinson and Jay Cantrell in the field

Writing a burn plan is a must before any burn, but it can be a tough assignment for a controlled fire newbie. The associations can be especially helpful for this task since there is usually someone who is used to being the burn boss. The associations are there to assist with any prescribed burns, and not to just do it for you. Their goal is to get any land manager to a point where they are comfortable calling in for a burn permit and then handling the duties themselves.    

Absolutely!

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