Private landowners and public land managers are increasingly using prescribed fire to improve the health of their land and protect their communities from wildfires.
Prescribed understory burning is the most cost-effective way to maintain the benefits of restorative thinning and fuel reduction treatments over time -- and it brings ecological balance to dry forest ecosystems, which developed with frequent lightning fires and Native American burning practices over hundreds of years.
Nonprofits and community organizations are working with state and federal agencies to provide training opportunities on prescribed burns for landowners, individuals, tribal members and fire professionals at several locations through May.
Oregon State University and regional partners are hosting the IGNITE Prescribed Fire Skills training and orientation this Saturday and Sunday. Offered at the Siskiyou Field Institute in Selma, IGNITE is open to participants interested in gaining prescribed fire skills and basic qualifications over two days of hands-on workshops, lectures and facilitated discussions. There are over 90 registrants and trainers from the local and regional areas including a 16-person crew with the Northwest Youth Corps.
Simultaneously, 40 applicants have registered with the Rogue Basin Prescribed Fire Training Exchange, which will conduct hands-on training during prescribed burns managed by the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
Both groups' events provide training toward federal and state firefighter qualifications.
