{"id":6493,"date":"2023-06-18T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-18T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=6493"},"modified":"2023-06-09T08:07:45","modified_gmt":"2023-06-09T08:07:45","slug":"the-good-fire-prescribed-burning-can-prevent-catastrophic-wildfires-in-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/the-good-fire-prescribed-burning-can-prevent-catastrophic-wildfires-in-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u2018good fire\u2019: Prescribed burning can prevent catastrophic wildfires in the future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Fire, in its proper place, is a renewing force \u2014 one that can reduce the probability of catastrophic fire.\n (Angie Li)<\/span>, CC BY-SA<\/a><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\nEric Lamb<\/a>, University of Saskatchewan<\/a><\/em><\/span>\n\n

Roaring flames, burned-out houses and cars, hazy air and orange skies are all around us. Already this year, millions of hectares have been torched by more than 2,200 wildfires<\/a> in Canada. <\/p>\n\n

In the midst of another unprecedented fire season, it is easy to see fire as a destructive force to be controlled at all costs. <\/p>\n\n

Through more than 100 years of aggressive fire suppression<\/a>, we have been conditioned to fear and demonize fire. From an ecological point of view, however, fire is a normal and often beneficial process. <\/p>\n\n

Today, small but active groups of ecologists and land managers on the Canadian Prairies are using fire to renew and rejuvenate grassland ecosystems<\/a>, enhance biological diversity and even to prevent catastrophic wildfire. <\/p>\n\n

Good fires<\/h2>\n\n

The blackened ground following a grass fire may look devastating, but looks can be deceiving. In a healthy grassland, much of the plant tissue is below ground<\/a>, well-protected from the heat of the fire. <\/p>\n\n

\n \"Prairie\n
\n Prairie crocus flowers with petals singed by a prescribed fire the day before.<\/span>\n (Eric Lamb)<\/span>, CC BY-SA<\/a><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n

Plants quickly resprout from these underground stems, taking advantage of the newly opened space and nutrients from the ash. For some plant species, chemical signals in the smoke and ash can even be a trigger to germinate.<\/p>\n\n

Grazers such as cattle and bison will seek out burned areas<\/a> to take advantage of the high-quality forage that grows back. Plant diversity is often higher post-fire, and burned areas offer important habitat for many wildlife species. <\/p>\n\n

Finally, fire removes litter, dead plant material from past seasons. Most grass fires spread through dry litter; removing this accumulated fuel can form a firebreak<\/a>, protecting the land against future catastrophic wildfire. <\/p>\n\n

Fire suppression is not always good<\/h2>\n\n

Indigenous Peoples, ecologists and conservationists have long recognized the importance of fire within grassland ecosystems, but decades of active suppression have left most of Canada in a fire deficit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

The reasons for fire suppression are complex and include concerns for public safety, protection of infrastructure and a view that it is a \u201cwaste\u201d to burn grass that could otherwise be fed to cattle. <\/p>\n\n

We must recognize that the history of fire suppression stems from real concerns. The consequences of uncontrolled wildfire can be devastating<\/a>, and ranchers who depend on rangelands \u2014 grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands and deserts that are grazed by domestic livestock or wild animals \u2014 to feed their livestock generally face a decline in productivity for one to three years post-fire.<\/p>\n\n

But at the same time, we need to replace the fear of fire with respect for fire and the respectful use of fire as a tool. <\/p>\n\n

Renewing ecosystems with fire<\/h2>\n\n

Indigenous Peoples have long used cultural burning for a wide variety of purposes, including controlling their landscape and improving the abundance of preferred plant species<\/a>. From a western science perspective, we call this \u201cprescribed fire,\u201d or the carefully planned use of fire under controlled and safe conditions to achieve a particular ecosystem management goal. <\/p>\n\n

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