Fire is part of life in the Southwest

There’s a lot of talk over social media and in the news about “good” fire and “bad” fire. Fire is a natural part of life in the Southwest, just like tornadoes in the Midwest and hurricanes in the South. The question we should be asking is not whether fire is good or bad, but how can land managers use fire to reduce the potential for extensive damage to the land, wildlife, watersheds and communities? The answer is to introduce fire strategically as a preventive measure for our fire-adapted landscapes.

Excessive fuel loading on the ground and a dense understory can cause a low-intensity surface fire to quickly transform into a crown fire, which burns hotter with greater flame lengths and causes greater damage to the ecosystem. That’s why it’s important to continue thinning, conducting prescribed fires and managing natural ignitions to reduce fuels and help minimize the potential for more severe fires in the future. The solution to undesired wildfire effects on the landscape is more fire on the landscape.

As the seasons change, so do fire management strategies. When the temperature cools, humidity rises and fire danger decreases, fire managers turn their attention from responding to wildfires to conducting prescribed fires. Fuels specialists write detailed prescribed burn plans that identify the best conditions under which vegetation will burn to get the best results — safely. Burn plans consider temperature, humidity, wind, fuel moistures and ventilation. Fire crews walk the area to ensure conditions align with the burn plan before deciding whether to proceed. Prescribed fire is always undertaken with firefighter and public safety as the first priority.

Wherever there is fire, there is smoke, and fire managers take great care to minimize smoke impacts to local communities. Fire crews use tactics such as dividing blocks into smaller units and starting early in the day and ending ignitions early in the afternoon to allow for optimal ventilation. If you are sensitive to smoke, please prepare in advance for likely smoke impacts by checking with your local health department or health care provider about precautions you should take.

Although prescribed fire treatments alone cannot stop all large wildfires, repeated treatments of thinning and burning can help modify fire behavior by reducing debris and fuels. Repeated treatments also provide safer and better opportunities for firefighters to engage on wildfire.

While land management agencies are returning fire to the landscape and taking steps to reduce hazardous fuels, homeowners should do what they can to protect their properties by removing flammable materials near the home and creating a buffer between the house and vegetation. Simple steps can help keep the public, firefighters and property safer and improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire.

The frequency of treatments across the national forests in the Southwest demonstrates the Forest Service’s commitment to promoting a healthier, safer landscape. And that effort has been bolstered by the recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This support will assist fire management for years to come.

Understanding we live in an area where large wildfires can occur at any time of the year means that we all need to be prepared, which means an increase in prescribed fire. Our land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health, and that strategy includes using prescribed fire on the landscape. Thank you for your support and cooperation.

Harold Riggs is the acting deputy director of Fire and Aviation Management for the U.S. Forest Service’s Southwestern Region, which manages 11 national forests in New Mexico and Arizona.