Prescribed Fires & Their Needed Role
Prior to modern civilization prescribed fire was used all throughout the world. Indigenous peoples, including North American tribes, used fire as a tool to manage wildlands for resources, much like we do today. However, more modern usage of the use of prescribed fire is derived from its absence during the early 20th century. Many ecosystems thrive because of the presence of fire. A lack of fire in these ecosystems can change the composition and diversity of plant life to that of an undesirable, non-native community. When the use of fire is suppressed, there has been a noticeable increase in the intensity and frequency of wildfires in those areas.
Over 75,000 acres of loblolly pines, which make up the Lost Pines ecosystem, reside in large sections scattered across five counties on the Texas Coastal Plain. Two of those counties include Bastrop and Fayette county. Ecosystems such as the “Lost Pines,” a unique pineoak forest, are threatened by a lack of introduced prescribed fire. The Bastrop County wildfire of 2011 was catastrophic to the community and damaged 96 percent of Bastrop State Park which was predominantly a Lost Pines ecosystem. Jennifer Fawcett, an extension associate in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at NC States College of Natural Resources, stated that, “when fire is excluded, trees are stressed by overcrowding, fire-dependent species disappear, and flammable fuels build up and become hazardous, resulting in forests prime for severe wildfires that burn quickly and can endanger nearby communities.” Due to the expansion of human civilization and the longtime reduction of prescribed fire, it is more important now then ever before that we understand and properly utilize this extremely effective tool.
As defined by the U.S. Forest Service, “prescribed fire is an application of fire under specified weather conditions to restore health to ecosystems that depend on fire and reduce hazardous fuels, protecting human communities from extreme fires.” Some of the additional benefits of introducing prescribed fire to the ecosystem are minimizing pest insects and disease, removing unwanted species that threaten the expansion of native species, improving wildlife habitat, improving habitat for threatened and endangered species, recycling nutrients back to the soil, and promoting the growth of trees, wildflowers, and other beneficial plants. A prescribed fire includes a well-thought-out plan involving temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation, smoke dispersal, firebreaks, and emergency procedures in the event of an escaped fire. With the proper tools, experience, and understanding of prescribed fire, more and more land is being successfully burned to benefit both wildlife and the human population.
Groups such as the Coalition of Prescribed Fire Council, the National Association of National Forests, the U.S. Forest Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife are using their resources to educate the public on the importance of prescribed fire as well as putting boots on the ground to conduct burns on private, state, and federal lands. According to the 2020 National Prescribed Fire Use Report, the use of prescribed fire in forests and rangeland areas across the U.S. has increased by 28% between 2011 and 2019. In the state of Texas alone, more than 250,000 acres were successfully burned in 2018 and 2019 under prescribed fire management.
As part of our goal here at the Lazy Q Ranch, we will be conducting prescribed burns, under the management of our wildlife biologist, to improve native habitat and create a buffer for our surrounding communities in case of a wildfire. Our prescribed burns are conducted under the caution of a specific plan to reduce the risk of an escaped and/or unwanted fire. In the case of an escaped fire during a prescribed burn we have safety precautions set in place to detain the fire to the best of our abilities, as well as the local county authorities on standby for further assistance if needed. Our organization views safety as a top priority. An established Emergency Fire Plan and Prescribed Fire Procedure and Responsibility Plan are put together and updated to ensure the safety of our employees and the surrounding communities. We hope this information and announcement of our planned procedures helps in the understanding of this important tool for our community and wildlife habitat.