Prescribed burns fuel healthier forests
As autumn settles across Arkansas, the state’s forests transform into a brilliant display of crimson, gold and amber. While enjoying the changing scenery, you may also notice patches of blackened ground or charred tree trunks. Although they may look like the aftermath of a wildfire, these areas often tell a very different story.
According to Lake Catherine State Park Interpreter Jaden Eversole, these burned sections are the result of carefully planned prescribed burns, an essential tool for maintaining healthy forests and reducing wildfire risks.
The park staff partnered with the Lake Hamilton Fire Department to conduct a prescribed burn that had been years in the making. Success depended on a precise combination of favorable weather, experienced personnel and carefully constructed fire breaks to keep the flames safely contained.
To define the burn area, crews created 6-foot-wide fire breaks by removing leaves, fallen branches and other forest debris. These cleared strips act as barriers, preventing flames from “jumping the line” into unintended areas, thereby greatly reducing the risk of an uncontrolled wildfire.
Eversole emphasized that prescribed burns should never be confused with casual burning. They require extensive planning, specialized training and experienced professionals to ensure safety and effectiveness. Visitors can also help protect Arkansas’ forests by avoiding smoking on trails, observing fire bans and lighting fires only in designated fire pits.
The benefits of prescribed burns extend well beyond wildfire prevention. By clearing leaf litter and undergrowth, they also help control ticks and chiggers along hiking trails while returning valuable nutrients to the soil and encouraging healthier new plant growth. That younger growth offers more available food for wildlife.
Emily Roberts, statewide fire program coordinator with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), notes that early settlers described Arkansas as a landscape of prairies, savannas and open forests. Natural wildfires and intentional burns by Indigenous peoples regularly cleared dense undergrowth, reducing wildfire fuel while promoting the growth of plants that provide food and habitat for wildlife. Today, prescribed burns mimic these natural processes to help restore healthy forests.
Because only about 10% of Arkansas is publicly owned, maintaining healthy habitats requires cooperation from private landowners as well as public agencies. AGFC offers expertise to help landowners conduct prescribed burns safely and effectively. To learn more about prescribed fire programs and available resources, or to schedule a site visit with a private lands biologist, visit agfc.com/education/private-lands-habitat-division.
Carlton and Leigh Wing host the “Arkansas’ Great Outdoors” weekly television series.