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News

How the Media and Some Researchers Mislead The Public On Prescribed Burning

The value of Intentional burning vast landscapes to control high severity fire is over stated in a study from Columbia University. The vast majority of forests that receive fuel treatments, including prescribed fire and cultural burning, never encounters a wildfire when their fuels are reduced. These burns must also be repeated as soon as every six due to regrowth of fuels. This seldom happens. Burning adjacent to communities can be effective if coupled with home hardening.

Fire Policy Letter

We need a new twenty-first century fire policy that prioritizes public safety. The old policy from an earlier era is failing to keep the most vulnerable safe during climate-driven wildfires. A more effective policy would provide low-interest loans, grants and technical assistance to rural residents to prepare their communities. Decades of research has shown that focusing on fire-safety home retrofits and the zone immediately around structures saves lives and protects property during wildfires.