Increasing Wildfires in Eastern U.S. Prompt Calls for Shift in Fire Management

Experts Advocate for Reintroduction of Prescribed Burns to Mitigate Fire Risk

Wildfires are increasing across several regions of the U.S., including the East, with the southern and eastern portions of the Eastern Temperate Forests showing a particularly concerning trend.
Fire suppression efforts have led to a buildup of fuel in forests, making them more susceptible to large, destructive fires when they do occur.
Mesophication, a shift to shade-loving species less conducive to fire due to fire suppression, has been observed in the North Central Hardwood forests, leading to a decline in wildfires, but it limits biodiversity and encourages extreme wildfires during dry periods.
Experts argue for the reintroduction of prescribed or cultural burns, a land management effort enacted by indigenous peoples prior to Euro-American settlement and colonization, to manage fuels and reduce fire risk.
Preparation for prescribed burns can take years and often involves manually thinning trees, restoring native grasses, and more, but without them, uncontrolled wildfires could burn more severely, destroying homes and releasing more hazardous smoke.