CENTRAL TEXAS PRESCRIBED FIRE COUNCIL

Prescribed fire is one of the most effective tools used to manage natural vegetation. Prescribed fires are planned fires, also sometimes called “controlled burns” or “prescribed burns,” and are used to meet defined land management objectives.

A specific prescription for each fire, prepared in advance, describes its area, objectives, the precise environmental conditions under which it will burn, expected fire behavior and criteria under which it should be suppressed.

The fire may be designed to change the vegetation structure in an area, to create a mosaic of diverse habitats for plants and animals, to help endangered species recover, or to reduce fuels and thereby prevent a destructive wildfire. 

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