Mission
To foster cooperation among all parties in Virginia with an interest or stake in prescribed fire; for the purposes of optimizing burning opportunities for the benefit of natural ecosystems and wildlife, and to reduce the risk of damage from wildfires.
Latest Postings
S-212 POSTPONED UNTIL SEPTEMBER!
April 22, 2020
**The S-212 Course scheduled for June 15-18 has unfortunately been postponed until September. A new date is TDB. Those that have already registered will not need to do so again. Please reach out to Chad Stover if you need to cancel your registration.**
Registration is now open for the S-212 Wildland Powersaws course that will take place June 15-18, 2020 at Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest. All participants must be qualified as a FFT2 (Firefighter Type 2). Class size is limited to 24 students, so be sure to sign up as soon as possible! Registration will close on May 31st.
Important! A Message from the Virginia Department of Forestry
April 01, 2020
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Virginia Department of Forestry will no longer approve any 4 pm exemption burns, effective April 1, 2020. We must all actively limit our exposure to others now, and so we are taking this step to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19 among prescribed burn managers, stage agencies, and emergency response personnel who participate in prescribed fire operations. Public awareness of respiratory health is heightened, and with that awareness comes concerns about air quality and health. We understand the importance of prescribed burning and the role of educating the public about its benefits. Now, in order to safeguard the health of Virginians and to avoid undermining the importance of prescribed burning practices on forests ecosystems, we ask for your understanding and cooperation in this matter. VDOF is also suspending all agency prescribed burn operations and burn assistance to prescribed burn managers until further notice.
NC State Seeks Stakeholders for US Forest Service Region 8 Prescribed Fire Program
March 26, 2020
From the Southern Fire Exchange: NC State University is working with USDA Forest Service Region 8 (Southern Region) to assess external (non-USFS) perceptions of the region's prescribed fire program. They will be distributing an assessment to stakeholders in the coming months, and are looking for stakeholders with an interest or stake in the prescribed fire program of any or all of the National Forests within the Southern Region.
If you would like to participate in this assessment by providing your feedback when it is distributed, please fill out the Google Form below. Those with questions can contact Laurel Kays at lekays@ncsu.edu.
Save the Date! S-212 being offerered for VPFC member agencies June 15-18, 2020.
March 13, 2020
S-212, Wildland Fire Chainsaws, will be offered June 15-18. Location and more details to follow soon!
2020 Virginia Interagency Wildland Fire Academy Registration Now Open
February 10, 2020
The Virginia Interagency Wildland Fire Academy will take place at Longwood University from May 19-23, 2020. Courses offered include: S-130/190, S-131, S-211, S-200, S-212, S-215, M-410, and RX-310. Click the link below to register!
Save the Date! Virginia Prescribed Burn Manager's Course- September 22-24, 2020
January 08, 2020
The Virginia Prescribed Burn Manager's Course, hosted by the Virginia Department of Forestry, is scheduled for September 22-24, 2020 in Charlottesville. Registration will open later this year- stay tuned for more information!
Beyond the Bonfire: A Primer on Prescribed Fire for Virginia's Private Landowners Now Available!
January 08, 2020
The Virginia Prescribed Fire Council is proud to announce the release of a new booklet designed to educate interested landowners in the benefits of using prescribed fire and important considerations to make before lighting the match. This publication will also be available in print form-- more information on this to come! Special thanks to Justin Folks, who made this publication a reality.
Important note of clarification. Bottom of pg 6-top of pg 7:
Where it states .... it should not be considered “careless, negligent, or intentional.” This should say..... it may not be considered “careless, negligent, or intentional.”
REMINDER: The determination of carelessness, negligence or intentional will be made by the courts. However, you will remain responsible for any associated costs of suppression.
Calling all Prescribed Fire Contractors!
September 01, 2016
The Virginia Prescribed Fire Council would like to give you free advertisement space! The intent of the "Find Fire Contractors" page is to convenietly provide Virginia landowners access to local contractors who specialize in prescribed fire and other land management practices.