
Resources
Basics

Prescribed burning, also known as prescribed fire or controlled burning, is defined as fire that is applied in a skillful manner in a defined place, under appropriate weather conditions, to achieve specific results.
After many decades of fire exclusion, the return of fire to Virginia's fire-adapted landscapes:
- reduces hazardous fuels and the chances of extreme wildfires;
-minimizes the spread of pest insects and disease;
-provides a variety of habitat types and forage for game;
-improves habitat for threatened and endangered species;
-recycles nutrients back to the soil;
- and promotes the growth of trees, wildflowers and other plants.
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Publication - Beyond the Bonfire: A Primer on Prescribed Fire for Virginia's Private Landowners
Fire Ecology
Central Appalachians Fire Learning Network
Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers and Scientists
Fire Effects Information System (FEIS)
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Fire Learning Network's Conservation Gateway
Fire Manager's Guide to Blue Ridge EcoZones
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Fire Research and Management Exchange System (FRAMES)
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Planning
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NWCG Prescribed Fire Plan Template, PMS 494-1
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Fire Weather
National Weather Service Fire Weather Page & Outlook Maps
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NWS Blacksburg Fire Weather Briefing Page
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NWS Charleston Fire Weather Page
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NWS Morristown Fire Weather Page
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NWS Sterling (Baltimore/Washington) Fire Weather Page
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Smoke Management
Virginia Smoke Guidelines (1998)
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NWCG Smoke Management Guide for Prescribed Fire, PMS 420-3 (2020)
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NWCG Smoke and Roadway Safety Guide, PMS 477
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NWCG Smoke and Roadway Safety Pocket Card, PMS 477-1
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Smoke Management Guidebook for Prescribed Burning in the Southern Region (2020)
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Smoke Modeling
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