Prescribed Fires Info
PRESCRIBED BURN PROGRAM ON MARK TWAIN NATIONAL FOREST
The Mark Twain National Forest uses prescribed burning as a tool to manage natural resources.
Many of Mark Twain National Forest’s plants and animals are fire-adapted and rely on periodic fire to maintain conditions favorable for their survival. Prescribed fire is also used to reduce the amount of fuel – dead wood, ground litter such as old leaves, needles and small twigs – that build up on the forest floor. This reduces the risk of destructive wildfires by removing much of the material that is needed to fuel intense wildfires.
Mark Twain National Forest has been using prescribed burning as a management tool since the late 1960’s.
The Forest conducts about 25 prescribed fires per year totaling about 30,000 acres. On average, six of those prescribed burns are ignited aerially by helicopter. In 2015, the Forest accomplished about 24,000 acres of prescribed burning, primarily for ecological restoration and hazardous fuel treatment.
A comprehensive burn plan is carefully prepared for each prescribed burn unit. Mitigations are developed and implemented to protect sensitive natural resources, adjacent private lands, historic and cultural resources, and to minimize smoke impacts. Trained, experienced firefighters conduct the burn under specific weather and fuel conditions.
Most prescribed burns are completed in one day. Firefighters patrol each burn unit for several days until it is completely out and safe to leave.
Planned Burn Map for Fiscal Year 2021
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