prescribed burns Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

How controlled burns benefit fire-dependent ecosystems

By Lauren Gallup April 12, 2023

Firefighters with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources conducted a controlled burn in Cougar Canyon near Naches, Washington last fall. Photo courtesy of DNR Communications.

For decades, the federal government declared all forest fires in the West a destructive force. Now, it is viewed as a fundamental part of the western ecosystem. Lauren Gallup and Mary Ellen Pitney explain. Continue Reading How controlled burns benefit Read More

Studies show prescribed burns key to forest resiliency

By Courtney Flatt November 22, 2022

Firefighters stand in the distance with drip torches along a road surrounded by trees. A fire burns in the foreground of the picture. It's climbing up some smaller trees.

Scientists are studying old wildfires to find what forest treatments slowed the flames – and what treatments didn’t work so well. Researchers are looking closely at the Schneider Springs fire, the largest wildfire in Washington in 2021. Continue Reading Read More

Experts To Western States: Time To Finally Fight Wildfires With More Fire

By NPR News October 27, 2020

a sign for a prescribed burn in the Giant Sequoia National Monument, Calif., remains posted two years after the fire. The prescribed burn, a low-intensity, closely managed fire, was intended to clear out undergrowth and protect the heart of Kings Canyon National Park from a future threatening wildfire. The tactic is considered one of the best ways to prevent the kind of catastrophic destruction that has become common, but its use falls woefully short of goals in the West. CREDIT: BRIAN MELLEY/AP

Experts warn that Western states and the federal government need to radically increase the number and size of controlled burns to help reduce the ongoing risks of more catastrophic wildfire seasons. Continue Reading Experts To Western Read More

Do Thinning And Prescribed Burns Help? New Study Following 2014 Carlton Complex Fire Says Yes

By Courtney Flatt March 3, 2020

File photo. An area burned in the Carlton Complex fire, as seen in 2019, along Highway 20 near Loup Loup Ski Bowl, east of Twisp, Washington. CREDIT: Megan Farmer/KUOW

Researchers began their detective work, trying to figure out what happened to these treated areas during the first few extreme days of the Carlton Complex fire. They gathered geospatial maps and satellite images. Continue Read More

Across The West, Land Managers Face Hurdles In Fighting Fire With Fire

By NWPB News August 12, 2019

Prescribed fires are credited with making forests healthier and stopping or slowing the advance of some blazes. Despite those successes, there are plenty of reasons they are not set as often as officials would like, ranging from poor conditions to safely burn to bureaucratic snags and public opposition. Read More

‘Good Fire’ Season: How Land Managers Select Areas For Prescribed Burns

By Courtney Flatt April 15, 2019

A member of the Wolf Creek Hotshots uses a drip torch to ignite the forest floor during a prescribed burn near Sisters, Oregon. CREDIT: JES BURNS

Land managers are using prescribed burns -- also called "good fire" -- and thinning to restore forests and reduce the extra wood, sticks and needles that fuel megafires. Different land managers look for certain things when they’re selecting where prescribed fires will work best. Read More

Shutdown Hampers Wildfire Preparedness And Training In The West And Across The Country

By NPR News January 12, 2019

Firefighters and forest managers are losing valuable time to prepare for the upcoming wildland fire season as the partial government shutdown continues. Continue Reading Shutdown Hampers Wildfire Preparedness And Training Read More

Washington Department Of Fish And Wildlife Stepping Up Controlled Burns This Spring

By Emily Schwing April 3, 2018

File photo. Washington's Department of FIsh and Wildlife plans to set controlled fires on on more than 1,000 acres in Okanogan, Ferry and Pend Oreille counties. CREDIT: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Forests and grasslands in eastern Washington are at high risk for large, intense wildfire. This spring Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife plans to using controlled burning on more than 1,000 acres in Okanogan, Ferry and Pend Oreille counties. Read More