Controlled burn

Common card · No. 265909

A controlled burn (or prescribed burn) is the practice of intentionally setting a fire to remove buildup of vegetation and decaying organic material in a landscape. It is used for a variety of purposes, such as forest management, ecological restoration, land clearing or wildfire fuel management. Controlled burning can also be referred to as hazard reduction burning, backfiring, swailing or a burn-off. Controlled burns are usually performed during cooler months to decrease the risk of more dangerous fires by removing build up of fuel. They play a role in ecology, such as stimulating the germination of some trees and revealing soil mineral layers to increase seedling vitality. In grassland, controlled burns shift the species present to mainly native grassland species, removing invasive species. Controlled burning is also a large part of cultural burning practices, having been used for millennia by indigenous people across the world. Colonial legislation in North America and Australia displaced...

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