Wildland Fire

Prescribed burn at Davis Bayou

NPS/Haynes

Prescribed fire is a management tool in which under certain conditions (wind speed, direction, relative humidity, fuel moisture, etc.) fire is reintroduced into an area in which fire has, historically, been suppressed. Science has proven that many of these areas actually require periodic fire to maintain them in a healthy state. For instance, some trees' seeds are dependent on the high temperatures generated by fire to release their seeds. While a prescribed fire in a pine forest will remove small hardwoods which at maturity could tower over and shade out the pines. These areas are called fire dependent ecosystems.

Since 1998, the park has conducted prescribed burns in the Naval Live Oaks and Davis Bayou areas. In order to avoid a catastrophic fire and return the area to it’s natural state; prescribed fires are conducted each winter when conditions are favorable. Whenever the park conducts prescirbed burns, news releases, social media posts, and community notices are distributed.

 

 

Fire in National Parks