The Natural Importance Of Fire
photo by Andrea Booher
Although it can be a devastating natural phenomenon, wildfire can also be very useful, and often times beneficial to a forest’s health (under the right conditions). Historically, fire has cleared the way for new forests and cleaned up choking underbrush beneath forest canopies. In many ways, forest ecosystems depend on naturally occurring wildfire to maintain a healthy life-cycle.
For these reasons, fire suppression groups may sometimes allow a naturally occurring fire to burn without suppressant action, or, when weather conditions are favorable, a crew may intentionally light fires in an attempt to clear unwanted forest underbrush (which, if left alone, could result in unnaturally intense and damaging wildfires in the future).
Intentional burns are carefully planned out, however, with specific resource objectives in mind and extensive prescription plans being completed and analyzed well before any prescribed burning is begun. Likewise, naturally occurring (also known as Wildland Fire Use) fires are also monitored carefully to accomplish specific resource management objectives.
Related Links:
Fundamentals of fire Menu:
- Fundamentals Of Fire: An Introduction
- Fundamentals Of Fire
- Common Firefighting Tools
- Fuels: An Introduction
- The Natural Importance Of Fire