Prescribed Fire
Prescribed fire is a safe way to restore a natural process, ensure ecosystem health and resiliency, and reduce wildfire risk.
Over the past 5 years in Alabama…
4.8M+
Acres Burned
62K+
Permits Issued
950+
Prescribed Burn Managers Certified
Prescribed fire refers to the controlled application of fire by a team of fire experts under specified weather conditions. This process helps restore health and resiliency to fire-dependent ecosystems and landscapes.
Prescribed fire restores the natural role and beneficial effects of periodic fire in an ecosystem.
It promotes desired vegetation and resilient landscapes while reducing hazardous fuel buildup and the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
That’s why we call them #GoodFires!
benefits of Prescribed Fire
Hazardous Fuels Reduction
Dense vegetation can fuel intense, fast-moving wildfires that endanger nearby communities.
Prescribed fire safely reduces excessive vegetation and encourages native plant growth.
When wildfires occur in areas previously treated with prescribed fire, they generally cause less damage and are easier to control.
Community Safety
The Wildland Urban Interface is where homes and communities are built alongside wildlands or farms. These areas face some of the greatest risks from wildfire.
When used appropriately, prescribed fire can help protect communities and ecosystems from catastrophic wildfire. Just as landowners are responsible for managing their lands, homeowners can manage their properties in ways that reduce wildfire risk.
Firefighter Safety
Responding to wildfires is dangerous work, but prescribed fire can reduce risks to firefighters.
By removing vegetation and other fuels, prescribed fire can slow wildfire spread, giving wildland firefighters a better opportunity to protect communities, property, and infrastructure.
Economic Gain
When regenerating southern pines on open sites, prescribed fire can expose mineral soil and control competing vegetation until seedlings become established.
Burning underbrush before a timber sale provides better visibility, improving safety for timber markers and loggers. It can reduce wildfire risk during harvest and potentially increase stumpage value.
Replenished Landscapes
Prescribed fire can improve grazing lands by reducing weeds and encouraging nutritious, palatable forage for livestock and other animals.
Fire removes dead plant material and encourages new growth, which provides higher levels of protein, phosphorus, and calcium.
Recreation & Beauty
Prescribed fire improves aesthetic value and access to nature. It increases the occurrence and visibility of flowering plants while maintaining open vistas and making it easier to see through the trees. This improved visibility can also increase opportunities to spot wildlife.
Step 1 of Conducting a Prescribed Fire:
OBTAIN A PERMIT
Prescribed fire is a complex management tool and should be used only with the utmost care under controlled conditions.
Alabama law (9-13-11) requires that you obtain a permit from the AFC to conduct a prescribed burn for silvicultural and agricultural purposes.
The permit means the burner:
- has the manpower and equipment to control the fire AND
- agrees to stay with the fire until it is out.
If the proposed fire is less than a quarter of an acre, a permit is not necessary. Even though the burner has a permit, he/she is still responsible for any damage to others that may be caused by the fire or smoke.
The permit is issued through our dispatch center by calling (800) 392-5679. Certified Prescribed Burn Managers can obtain a permit online here.
When applying for a permit, the burner needs to provide the
- Latitude/Longitude coordinates of the burn location
- Approximate size of the burn
- What is to be burned, i.e. grassland/fields/forests
- General purpose of the burn, such as fire hazard reduction, regeneration, wildlife benefit, etc.
The burn must not contain material such as vehicle tires, construction material, household garbage, or other material prohibited by ADEM (Alabama Department of Environmental management).
The permit may be canceled by the AFC for failure to comply with the terms of the permit; weather condition changes, which cause erratic and dangerous fire behavior; or burns producing smoke that become a hazard to others or contribute to a degradation of air quality.
Check with your local authorities for any additional burning restrictions.
“Conducting a hazardous fuel reduction burn aims to minimize the risk of human injury and property damage before catastrophic wildfires can occur. Executing these burn requires thorough planning, resources, and collaboration.“
– Rickey Fields –
Prescribed Fire Coordinator
Certified Prescribed Burn Manager Program
Prescribed Burn Manager Certification
The law states that in order for a prescribed burn to have liability protection; it must be supervised by a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager.
1975 Code of Alabama, Section 9.13.270, and Alabama Administrative Code, Chapter 390.X.6, state that the requirements for obtaining certification as a Prescribed Burn Manager will consist of the following: “Completion of a training course approved by the Alabama Forestry Commission.”
Certification Process
A training program has been established to meet the requirements of the Prescribed Burning Act. The Burn Manager Certification Course, covering 32 hours, will include discussion of fire behavior, burning methods, safety, planning, smoke screening and Alabama fire laws. Courses are offered annually across the state. For a list of training sessions, see the Certified Prescribed Burn Manager Courses section below. It is also suggested that participants complete a Fire Behavior Course, which can be done as a self-study class, prior to the Burn Manager Training Course.
Training equivalent to the courses sponsored by the Alabama Forestry Commission will be accepted as meeting the requirement for certification. Chapter 390.X.6.02 of the Alabama Administrative Code states that the determination as to the acceptability of any particular training will be made by the Alabama Forestry Commission or its designee.
To receive initial certification, burners should submit an Application for Prescribed Burn Manager Certification along with proof of training and a non-refundable $50 certification fee. Please send applications to:
- Alabama Forestry Commission
- Attn: Prescribed Burn Certification Program
- Post Office Box 302550
- Montgomery, AL 36130-2550
Please note: Burners who paid $150 to attend an AFC-sponsored certification course and are applying following successful completion of that course do not have to pay an additional $50 application fee when submitting the application for certification. The completed application and proof of training are all that is required for those burners.
The Prescribed Burn Manager Certification will have a 5 year term, requiring renewal every five years. Each Certified Prescribed Burn Manager must, over that five year period, earn six (6) hours of continuing education directly pertaining to prescribed burning. For information on recertification see the section “Prescribed Burn Manager Recertification” section below.
For additional information contact Marti Davis at (334)240-9332
Prescribed Burn Manager Re-Certification
Certification is for a five-year period, requiring renewal every five years. In order for a certification to be renewed, six hours of continuing education directly pertaining to prescribed burning must be earned prior to the certification expiration date. Burners who do not meet this standard will have their certification expire. Courses and topics that would meet the continuing education requirements would include but are not limited to: fire behavior courses, fire behavior calculations courses, ignition operations courses, fuels and fuels modeling courses, fire effects courses, smoke management courses, and any course offered or sponsored by the Alabama Forestry Commission specifically for the purpose of providing continuing education for prescribed burning.
For a list of AFC-sponsored training workshops, see the “Certified Prescribed Burn Courses” section below.
To receive Certification Renewal, Burn Managers should submit an Application for Prescribed Burn Manager Re-Certification, along with proof of continuing education accomplishment and a non-refundable $50 certification fee prior to the expiration date of their certification. Please send applications to:
- Alabama Forestry Commission
- Attn: Prescribed Burn Certification Program
- Post Office Box 302550
- Montgomery, AL 36130-2550
Please note: Burners who paid $100 to attend an AFC-sponsored recertification workshop and are applying following successful completion of that training do not have to pay an additional $50 application fee when submitting the application for recertification. The completed application and proof of training are all that is required for those burners.
For more information contact Marti Davis at (334)240-9332
Certified Prescribed Burn Manager Courses
Who should take the CPBM Certification COURSE? Any forest land owner, forester, wildlife biologist, consultant, contractor, or agency personnel who is interested in the use of prescribed wildland fire as a management tool and who is seeking certification should attend. Out of state participants are welcome.
Who should take the CPBM Re-Certification WORKSHOP? Any current Alabama Certified Prescribed Burn Manager who needs the required 6 CEUs every 5 years for re-certification should take the workshop. Please make sure that you are a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager in good standing before you sign up for the recertification workshop. You can check your expiration date by logging into the online burn permit website and checking My Info.
Prescribed Fire & Forest Health
Prescribed fires can positively impact forest health in the following ways.
Soil Rejuvenation
Fire is a natural disturbance that returns nutrients from vegetation back to the soil, encouraging new growth and maintaining healthy wildlife habitat. Most of those nutrients remain on-site where they are used by plant roots, micro-organisms, and the soil.
Fire frequency, duration, and intensity influence it effects on soil. Fires that burn too intensely can cause nutrient loss and damage soil organisms and plant roots.
Water Quality & Quantity
Prescribed fire can benefit water resources by reducing overgrown vegetation and improving watershed conditions. With less dense vegetation competing for water, more may be available for streams, groundwater, wildlife, and other plants.
Even in wetlands, prescribed fire can be used to control unwanted vegetation and maintain a healthy ecosystem.
Improved Biodiversity
Prescribed burning increases vegetative diversity and attracts a wider variety of birds and animals. It also helps perpetuate many endangered plant species.
Manages Competing Vegetation
Depending upon the desired composition and diversity of the forest, the judicious use of prescribed fire can manage competition for water, nutrients, and growing space.
Promotes Native Vegetation
Use of prescribed fire encourages new growth of native vegetation and maintains the many plant and animal species whose habitats depend on periodic fire.
Controls Insects and Diseases
Prescribed fire helps reduce some fungal diseases, such as root rot since it affects the makeup of the forest floor. Prescribed fire is also the most effective and practical control for brown spot disease in longleaf pine seedlings and cone insects, such as the white pine cone beetle.
Improves Wildlife Habitat
Prescribed burning stimulates seed germination. The responding ground cover provides forage, soft mast, and seed eaten by many birds, mammals, and reptiles. Burning also opens up ground for animals to travel, loaf, and feed, while influencing the composition and structure of cover for wildlife.
Burning Restrictions
Definitions
Red Flag Warning — Issued by the National Weather Service
The National Weather Service will issue a Red Flag Warning for specific areas when weather conditions indicate high fire potential. This warning is very short-term and is only in place while the weather conditions are occurring. A warning will be issued when the following conditions occur:
- KBDI greater than 300,
- Minimum relative humidity values less than 25%,
- Winds at 20-feet above ground level are 15 mph or greater,
- and these conditions have persisted for a 4-hour duration or longer.
*If a particular county is under a Fire Alert, the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) criterion is suspended.
Fire Danger Advisory — Issued by the AFC
When extremely dry weather conditions and low humidity combine to create an atmosphere favorable for wildfires, the Alabama Forestry Commission urges everyone to delay outdoor burning until conditions improve if at all possible.
Fire Alert — Issued by the AFC
When weather conditions are such that there are an abnormal number of wildfires, or several unusually large wildfires in an area, or when there is an issue with severe smoke causing air quality degradation, the State Forester may issue a Fire Alert for specified counties. This allows the Alabama Forestry Commission to restrict the issuing of burn permits. On most days, permits are issued to everyone who meets the requirements of the permit law. During a Fire Alert, only Certified Prescribed Burn Managers with adequate manpower and equipment may be issued a permit.
Drought Emergency — Issued by the Governor
A Drought Emergency can be declared when a Fire Alert fails to control a wildfire situation. Generally, this occurs when the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) is over 600, and there are, on average, more than 1 wildfire per county per day over a wide area. The State Forester works with the Governor’s Office to issue a formal regulation, which has the effect of law. A Drought Emergency is commonly called a “No Burn Order” and prohibits any outdoor burning, including any prescribed burns, camp fires, and trash fires.
The regulations allow barbeque fires for cooking IF the fire is in a charcoal grill or masonry barbeque pit, including large barbeque pits used by civic organizations to prepare food. Anyone grilling or barbequing during the Drought Emergency should have water hoses on site to prevent any loose sparks from setting a wildfire. Additionally, a circle of at least 10 feet in diameter around the grill should be cleared of any burnable material. Side fires to generate coals for a barbeque must also be within a grill or masonry pit. Gas grills are allowed.
USDA Forest Service Public-Use Restrictions — Issued by the Forest Service
During times of high wildfire danger, the USDA Forest Service may restrict or close a portion of a National Forest to the public. This is a safety consideration as well as a fire prevention action. These restrictions are posted on the USDA Forest Service website.
Fire Weather Resources
The following links can provide necessary weather information to safely conduct a prescribed burn. For questions about weather or prescribed fire, please contact our local AFC county office.
- Daily Fire Weather Forecast: Birmingham | Huntsville | Mobile | Tallahassee
- Drought Monitor Map of Alabama
- Intellicast 24 Hour Precipitation Map
- Intellicast WINDcast
- KBD Index Map – Areas above 500 are in severe fire danger
- National Weather Service Fire Map
- NWS East Alabama Rainfall Map
- NWS Red Flag Warnings
