Prescribed fire is a powerful and important land management and stewardship tool. Prescribed fire is an effective, cost-efficient way to proactively manage vegetation and help prevent devastating wildfires.
Douglas County’s Prescribed Fire Plan
Wildfires are the No. 1 natural hazard in Douglas County. Douglas County – and its partners in fire mitigation – take an all-hands, all-lands and collaborative approach to mitigating wildfire risk. Douglas County is working to implement a prescribed fire program that meets land management, firefighter and public safety goals and objectives.
Implementation of this science-based fire management program is designed with nationally recognized standards and protocols. It is an investment in long-term benefits for communities, fire managers, and the Douglas County landscape. It helps to enhance and protect the Douglas County economy, values, and way of life.
Read Douglas County’s Prescribed Fire Planning and Implementation Guide.
Prescribed Fire Process
Public safety is the No. 1 priority during a prescribed fire event. To ensure public safety, each prescribed fire event has a detailed plan developed long before project activities are initiated. The plan includes:
- The desired objectives
- When, where and under what conditions (such as weather, smoke management and air quality) to burn
- The parameters of acceptable fire behavior
- Roads and natural features to use as part of the containment line
- Organization considerations
- Contingency plans for fire control, smoke management and public concerns
When the conditions are met, highly trained fire management personnel apply fire to the treatment areas, closely monitor the fire progress to ensure the fire stays exactly where it was intended, and adjust ignition patterns as necessary to ensure the project objectives are met. Crews remain on-site long after the flames subside to ensure containment lines are secure.
