prescribed burns News

Fire Suppression, Drought Increasing Mortality Among Trees

An Oregon State University forester says dry winters and long periods of drought, combined with fire suppression, are affecting the health of Central Oregon trees. Nicole Strong, a forestry and natural resources extension agent for OSU, described an increased amount …

Controlled Burns Seen as the Lesser of Two Evils

About 30 members of the crew stood in the morning still of the Oregon forest as Katie Sauerbrey laid out the plans for the day. Some carried shovels or pickaxes. Others leaned against trucks and peered at maps of the …

Many Undetected Wildfires Occur in Florida

A new study from Florida State University researchers indicates that common satellite imaging technologies have vastly underestimated the number of fires in Florida. Their report, published in collaboration with researchers from the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy, challenges …

GOP Bill Aims to Reduce Environmental Constraints on Logging to Reduce Wildfire Risk

House Republicans are targeting environmental rules to allow faster approval for logging and other actions in national forests in response to deadly wildfires in the West. Lawmakers are set to approve a bill to loosen environmental regulations for forest-thinning projects …

Florida Conditions May Mean More Wildfires

The smell of smoke is in downtown Orlando, Florida. On Sunday, a brush fire caused a part of State Road 528 to be shut down between Orlando and the Space Coast. A fire burned last week near the north-central Florida …

Prescribed Burns on the Decline

Forest managers would prefer to use prescribed burns every few years to help prevent costly wildfires and rebuild unhealthy ecosystems, but hurdles like staffing, budget, liability and new development hinder them, a new University of Florida study shows. Fighting wildfires …

Record Number of Prescribed Burns in Florida This Year

State officials say they’ve overseen a record number of prescribed burns over the past year. The Florida Forest Service reported prescribed fires covering more than 2.5 million acres. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says that’s one of …

Wildfire Bills Set for Governor’s Signature

Wildfire prevention measures passed after Colorado’s tragic wildfire season last year are expected to be signed into law Thursday by Gov. John Hickenlooper. The governor plans to sign the bills at Mesa Verde National Park in Cortez. One of the …

Officials Plan Controlled Burns at Camp Lejeune

Officials plan controlled burns at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune to reduce the possibility of forest fires. The Camp Lejeune Environmental Management Division has started lighting fires on forestry parts of the base and will continue the process for the next …