Wildland Fire

A fire burning in a forest — Wildfire can have ecological benefits.
NPS

Preserving and Protecting with Fire

A key priority of the National Park Service is the preservation and protection of native plants and animals, as well as the natural ecological processes that support them. Recent research has emphasized the critical role that fire plays in the survival of many species, highlighting its importance in promoting biodiversity and maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Historically, the National Park Service adopted a stance of suppressing forest fires; however, extensive studies conducted in the southern Appalachians and elsewhere have transformed the understanding of fire's significance. This shift in perspective now acknowledges fire as an essential component in sustaining the park's ecological health and recognizes the importance of implementing it as a management strategy.

The National Park Service has updated its fire management policy to include lightning-caused and prescribed fires in its resource management plan under favorable conditions, while combating arson and fires threatening human life or property with best management practices. The plan prioritizes safety and minimizes damage to park resources.

A low fire creeping through a pine forest — In certain areas of the park, wildland fires are allowed to burn but are closely monitored.
NPS

Wildland Fire in Great Smoky Mountains

On average, two lightning-ignited forest fires occur in Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year, typically in late spring to early summer. Wildfires are most common at low and mid-elevations, in areas dominated by pine and oak forests.

Before European settlement, occasional fire was a natural part of most Appalachian ecosystems, and native plants and animals had adapted to this process. The forests featured a mix of old and young trees, with some areas being more open. Fire helped recycle nutrients from dead wood, which could then be used by growing plants and plant species dependent on fire disturbance to germinate. At least a dozen native plant and animal species have been identified as benefiting from fire in the Smokies.

A red cockaded woodpecker on the side of a pine tree with an insect in its beek — The red-cockaded woodpecker has not been found in the park since 1970, due to the loss of suitable habitat.
Southeast USFWS Flickr cc-by-2.0

Native Species Dependent on Fire

Table Mountain pine is a prime example of a species that relies on fire for reproduction. During intense burns, their sealed cones open up, allowing seeds to spread over fresh nutrient-rich soil. Unfortunately, many stands of Table Mountain pine in the park have failed to regenerate due to past fire suppression. This decline is particularly concerning for biologists because the species is confined to the southern and central Appalachian Mountains.

The federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, a fire-dependent species, has not been found in the park since 1970. This woodpecker is known to only nests in mature pine trees that are free of surrounding underbrush. Researchers believe that the colonies of red-cockaded woodpeckers in the park's west end were abandoned because the area became too overgrown, leading to increased predation of their nests. Periodic fires would help control the underbrush, providing a more suitable habitat for these woodpeckers and increase the chances of their return to the park.

Fire is also essential for maintaining the natural diversity of ecosystems. Many pine-oak and oak forests in the park have poor reproductive success without occasional fires. Since total fire suppression began in the 1930s, little to no oak regeneration has occurred at some sites. Oaks provide acorns in the fall, which are an important food source for wildlife such as black bears, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and insects.

Prescribed Fire

Prescribed fire is a planned fire, often referred to as a "controlled burn" or "prescribed burn," designed to meet specific management objectives. Historically, indigenous people used fire as a tool to clear areas for crops, travel, land management, hunting, and many other uses across North America.

Today, when creating a prescription, factors such as safety, weather, moisture, and the likelihood of achieving the management goals are carefully considered.

The two primary goals of prescribed fire are:

1. To support species and ecosystems that benefit from fire.

2. To reduce heavy fuel loads—accumulations of dead wood and brush—that, under drought conditions, could lead to catastrophic wildfires.

The National Park Service has chosen to conduct prescribed fires in areas where plants and animals, particularly endangered species, can derive the greatest benefit from fire.

Prescribed fires have been carried out at several locations within the park, including Cades Cove, to support species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker, purple fringeless orchid, mountain catchfly, whiteleaf sunflower, dwarf larkspur, goldenseal, Indian grass, and others. Scientific monitoring is conducted before and after each burn to ensure that the fires achieve their intended results.

Efforts to reduce heavy fuel loads from dead wood and brush have been successful through prescribed fires conducted near the park boundary near Wears Valley, Tennessee, where a large number of beetle-killed pine trees are located adjacent to surrounding communities.

Prescribed fire management in Cades Cove

Since 2009, prescribed fire management in Cades Cove has followed a three-year cycle, with approximately one-third of the Cove burned each year. However, this strategy has not been effective in preventing the spread of unwanted woody vegetation. The original method required several days of planning, preparation, and burning.

Now, we have a new burning strategy on a 2-year cycle (1/2 of the Cove every year). This plan splits the fields into two halves: east and west Cades Cove, separated by Hyatt Lane. This change simplifies the process and allows us to complete most burns in just one day. Additionally, it still maintains unburned habitat for wildlife to utilize area while the burned area restores itself over the following months.

The burned landscape is short-lived, often resulting in a mosaic of burned and unburned areas, with new growth emerging just weeks after a burn. Without the use of prescribed fire, Cades Cove would soon transition to a forested landscape losing its ability to support certain species and its cultural significance.