Prescribed Burns Explained: What They Do and Why They’re Essential
When you hear about a prescribed burn, it’s easy to wonder why it’s being done and how setting fire to the land could possibly help it.
This article is here to clear up that confusion and shed some light on the real benefits of prescribed burns.
To start, most American forests actually evolved with fire—whether sparked naturally or intentionally set by Native Americans who understood how fire could improve the land for agriculture and wildlife. Over time, however, as more European settlers arrived, the practice of using fire on the landscape faded and was replaced with a mindset focused on fire suppression.
That began to change in the 1980s, when scientists started taking a closer look at fire as a land management tool. Their research helped bring prescribed burning back into focus as a vital way to keep forests healthy and ecosystems thriving.
Why use fire?
- Removes dead plants and pests – renewing the area for new plant life
- Releases nutrients in the old growth, promoting added fertility
- Removes excess fuel, helping to prevent future wildfire
How do you plan and carry out a prescribed burn?
- Decide on the goals you have for this parcel.
- Hire a prescribed fire manager (burn boss) to direct your burn based on your goals. These experts are certified and trained to plan, organize, and execute prescribed fires, ensuring they are conducted safely and effectively.
- Your burn boss will choose the ideal conditions for the burn: temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, and ground moisture.
- Decide how many people you will need and line up your equipment (see below for how this looked on a recent burn we performed.)
- Lay out fire breaks around the perimeter (This is a strip of land cleared to create a barrier that stops the fire from spreading. It can be natural or man-made.)
- Notify the sheriff’s department and any neighbors.
- Review the weather and land conditions with your burn boss on the day of the fire and be prepared to postpone as needed.
We recently completed a prescribed burn on one of our tracts in Georgia. The primary goals for this burn were to enhance wildlife habitat, eliminate invasive and non-native plant species, reduce the risk of wildfire, and promote healthier timber growth by clearing out the understory and competing vegetation.
The burn went exactly as planned. The land is already beginning to green up with fresh growth from native plants, and there are clear signs that local wildlife is thriving in the rejuvenated habitat.
Prescribed Burn
February 24, 2025
232 Acres
Floyd County GA
Burn Permit ID: 2025-18-000053
Safety Equipment:
1 Skid Steer
4 Side by Side
7 Man Crew
Watch this video to see for yourself!
Prescribed Burn
February 24, 2025
232 Acres
Floyd County GA
Burn Permit ID: 2025-18-000053
Safety Equipment:
1 Skid Steer
4 Side by Side
7 Man Crew