Fire
Controlled burns are reducing pine litter, dead branches and downed logs to promote a healthy forest.
- Controlled burns are conducted only when weather conditions are most favorable and are based on daily forecasts from the National Weather Service.
- Controlled fires are conducted by experienced, qualified personnel who work as a team to ignite, monitor and ensure that the fire stays within the control lines.
- The fires reduce the height of shrubs and bring new plant growth back down within the reach of foraging wildlife such as deer and turkey.
- Threatened ecosystems like longleaf pines–unique habitat for endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers–are dependent on fire.
Read the story of controlled burns in Mississippi and why they are important. View our Story Map to learn more: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f5e0512b1cda45a0afdbb19749652f82
Fire is an important component of the land management plan to reduce forest fuels and restore historic plant and animal habitats. Fires ignited by natural lightning strikes and Native American agricultural practices have occurred for centuries in Mississippi. Scientific studies reveal that naturally occurring fires may have spread across large parts of East the state as frequently as every one to three years. Primarily using controlled fire; National Forests in Mississippi managers treat almost 200,000 acres for hazardous fuels build upon the forests annually.
To learn about daily prescribed burns across the forest follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/USFSMississippi/