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Prescribed fire is a planned fire and is also sometimes called a "controlled burn," and is used to meet management objectives. A prescription is a set of conditions that considers the safety of the public and fire staff, weather, and probability of meeting the burn objectives.
In most parks, management-ignited prescribed fires are used to manage vegetation instead of lightning-caused fires. Prescribed burns have been ignited to reduce hazardous fuel loads near developed areas, manage landscapes, restore natural woodlands and for research purposes. Before any prescribed fires are permitted, the park must complete a Fire Management Plan and a prescribed burn plan. Each prescribed fire must meet all the conditions identified in a Go/No Go checklist before ignition. When fire cannot be used, most hazard fuel reduction is accomplished with saws and manual removal.
Hazard fuel reduction around developed areas provides for firefighter safety and structure protection in the event of a wildfire, but also gives the fire management staff greater confidence and a broader prescription to allow natural ignitions to burn their course.
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