AFS Prescribed Burning
Removal of unwanted vegetation and debris with the natural power of fire
The application of safe, healthy fire is a specialty of AFS, and something we take great pride in. The western US has benefited from naturally occurring wildfire for millennia. Only recently did humans begin to interfere with the process of natural fires, out of fear and lack of understanding. The goal of our prescribed burns is to recreate these lost natural processes, in a controlled and predictable way.
Natural wildfires were historically much milder than what we experience today. This change is due largely to an increased accumulation of fuels, related to the over-supression of wildfires in the past 100 years. Prior to the advent of modern wildland firefighting, natural fires routinely cleansed the environment of dead plant material and the weakest young trees and shrubs. This repeating cycle meant that the fuel load of any particular area never grew too dense. When this cycle was interrupted, it allowed for fuels to build up to critical levels.
These new, unnatural fuel levels are what allow modern wildfires to cause their massive, permanent destruction. Increased ground debris burns hotter and longer, in turn igniting the overly dense shrubs and low hanging branches of trees. These intermediate - or "ladder" - fuels generate extreme temperatures as they burn, allowing flames to spread into mature tree canopies. With increased height comes increased air flow, and fires quickly become unstoppable.
Fires of this type burn with such intensity that nothing is left after the inferno passes. Soils become sterilized of life, and easily erode in the next rains. Native seeds that would normally withstand low-intensity fires are either destroyed by the intense heat, or wash away with the topsoil. This leaves the area devoid of life, with few resources for recovery. Areas affected by these high intensity fires can take hundreds of years to fully regenerate.
Our prescribed burns recreate the natural low-intensity fires that once maintained the Sierras. We first cut and reduce the accumulated fuels, and create piles where the excess heat cannot damage the desirable mature trees. We then apply fire in a controlled manner to consume the unwanted material. The fire can then safely be allowed to "creep" through the ground materials, just as a natural fire would have centuries ago.
The low intensity of our prescribed burns will not harm mature trees, and can even benefit some species of native grasses and flowers that thrive after the fire.
When conducting prescribed burns, we secure all necessary permits from local and state fire agencies and the appropriate air quality agencies. We also use the highest quality tools and water handling equipment to ensure a problem-free and enjoyable experience for you, the property owner.
