Burns planned for this week in Allegheny National Forest

ANF Spring Prescribed Fire Update

Warren, Pa.—this week, the U.S. Forest Service plans to conduct five prescribed burns within fenced units in the Bradford Ranger District on Allegheny National Forest. In total, 140 acres will be treated with prescribed fire in Warren and Forest Counties, Pennsylvania. Ignitions are planned to begin mid-morning and rising columns of smoke may be visible throughout each day.

Fire management staff in collaboration with Forest resource specialists have identified forest health, wildlife, and ecosystem management resource objectives to accomplish by using prescribed fire as a tool. The burns are taking place in areas enclosed with eightfoot-tall deer exclusion fences. Stands of trees within the fences are dominated by desirable oak species but have a high amount of undesirable American beech saplings in the understory. These prescribed fires will restore and maintain fire-adapted ecosystems and help to regenerate oak trees by reducing the number of shade-tolerant trees in the understory. The burns will reduce the amount of dead and down fuels, recycle soil nutrients, and stimulate increased production of acorns and other mast crops that are the favorite food of many forest animals.

Prescribed fires are conducted with the safety of the public and firefighters as the highest priority. Prescribed fires are implemented only when the prescribed parameters, including wind speed and direction, relative humidity, temperature, seasonal restrictions, and mitigation of potential smoke impacts are met.