The National Association of State Foresters and the Coalition of Prescribed Fire Councils recently completed their second national survey of all 50 states, asking questions about how prescribed fire is used, managed, and reported. They found that after sorting the responses into three regions, Northeast, Southeast, and West, 69 percent of all acres burned were in the Southeast in 2014.
The top impediments to accomplishing their prescribed fire objectives were, in decreasing order, weather, capacity, and air quality/smoke management.
Below is an excerpt from the report, and below that some graphics. (click on the images to see larger versions)
One significant finding was an increase in the number of states that offer education and training to certify prescribed fire managers. The number of states increased to 24, a 41% increase over the 2012 report. This is an impressive statistic, and one that will hopefully build capacity of trained fire managers. During the same period, the number of prescribed fire councils grew by 24%, bringing the total to 31 councils in 27 states.
