We live in a broad, semi-arid landscape where wildfires are a natural part of the equation. Our hot, dry summers are often transformed into brawling “fire seasons.” Unchecked wildfires can easily rage through hundreds of thousands of acres, clawing down everything within reach. They can blot out the sun and send choking smoke to distant states. They can scorch entire communities.
Prescribed burns, also
known as controlled burns, are intentionally set and managed fires used to
reduce hazardous fuel buildup, promote ecosystem health, and prevent larger,
uncontrolled wildfires. Conducted under strict weather and safety conditions, these
burns mimic natural fire cycles, clearing out dead vegetation, controlling
invasive species, and encouraging new plant growth. They are an essential land
management tool used by forestry and conservation agencies to maintain healthy
landscapes and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
Our cool and relatively
moist spring days are ideal for staging prescribed burns. Yesterday, roiling
arms of smoke reached up into the sky about a dozen miles north of my house—the
signature of a prescribed burn near the tiny community of York. It’s sobering
to stand on my deck and watch an intentional fire brawling through a knot of
mountains so near to me.
—Mitchell Hegman
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