Prescribed Burning (NRCS #338)

Applicable Systems

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About

Prescribed burning, or prescribed fire, is a planned, controlled fire in a predetermined area¹ ². Prescribed burns can be used to manage pests and weeds, improve wildlife habitat, increase plant and seed production, enhance soil health, improve forage quality, provide site restoration, and reduce fire risk. Prescribed burns should have a clear intended purpose or goal to inform effective management and preparation. Additionally, burn frequency may vary depending on goals and vegetation.

Key aspects and considerations:

Consider and monitor fuel type, topography of the site (slope), wind speed and direction, soil moisture, air temperature, and relative humidity to determine if environmental conditions are met to ensure a safe, effective burn. Check local conditions with NOAA Fire Weather and the National Interagency Fire Center, and test a small area at the site beforehand for insight into fire behavior.
Notify local fire departments, neighbors, and public health and safety officials.
Complete pre-burn preparation.
Ensure safety requirements, equipment needs, and the needed number of trained personnel are met.
Implement smoke management practices to reduce smoke impact.
After burning, complete a postburn evaluation.

Benefits and Limitations

ACRE Category	Benefits	Limitations
Soil Health	May reduce runoff and erosion by enhancing vegetation in cropland, prairies, and forests. Improves soil fertility by enhancing nutrient cycling. Increases soil organic matter following burn³. May improve habitat for soil organisms, which can in turn improve soil health.	Burns may initially deplete soil organisms and reduce microbial diversity³.
Water Management	Low intensity prescribed burns may indirectly support water quality improvements by reducing the risk of large-scale uncontrolled fires.	Fire chemically alters the soil, which can reduce infiltration and increase runoff and erosion⁴.
Nutrient Management	Increases mineralization and enhances nutrient cycling.	May increase volatilization, but loss is often limited with cooler, even burns⁵. Frequent burns may reduce soil nutrients by slowing decomposition and reducing organic inputs. In forested systems, prescribed fire reduces soil C and N storage⁶. The impact of fire on nutrient availability varies by nutrient.
Agricultural Production	Improves forage quality and productivity⁵. Improves interseeding preparation. Reduces weed and pest pressure. Limits the spread of invasive or unwanted species. Boosts pasture productivity and promotes tree growth. Reduces fuel loads and the risk of extreme wildfires⁵.	Decreases ecosystem productivity initially, but many upper Midwest ecosystems recover quickly from fire disturbance⁷. Suitable burn days may be limited by weather conditions. Continued research investigating interactions is needed to determine if prescribed burning addresses identified NRCS resource concerns⁵.
Biodiversity and Wildlife	Effective prescribed burns enhance biodiversity. Encourages seed dispersal. Reduces invasive species. Enhances pollinator abundance. In forested areas, prescribed burns increase regeneration rates of oak species and promote greater species diversity.	Inconsistently impacts habitat, as some species benefit while others face habitat degradation⁵. Biodiversity response to prescribed burns is often inconsistent, and can vary by fire severity, taxa, and rainfall⁵ ⁸.
GHG Emission	Promotes carbon sequestration over an extended time frame. Limited effect on the stability of carbon stocks in natural communities. Compared to wildfire, prescribed burns can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 25%⁹.	May increase pollutants, such as ozone and fine particulate matter. Contributes to short-term carbon emissions. In forested systems, repeat prescribed burns may release more emissions than wildfires¹⁰. The magnitude and direction of greenhouse gas emissions vary depending on the region, ecosystem, and weather conditions⁷ ¹¹. Possible short-term impacts to air quality and health.
Economics	Prescribed burns may reduce the risk of wildfires¹² and resulting costs. Membership in a prescribed burn association (PBA) can reduce costs.	Training and certification can be time intensive, which brings associated costs. Requires a burn plan, risk assessment, and permit fees, as well as personnel, fuel, burn control devices, and safety gear. Costs vary based on size, complexity, and landscape features. In the southern Great Plains, a 2024 report estimates that prescribed burns cost $11.32 per acre. Requires extensive planning and permits.

Impact on Agricultural Resilience

Prescribed burns are a tool to help prevent wildfires, which are becoming more widespread and severe due to ongoing climate change.
In forested systems, many natural communities are fire-dependent, and require prescribed burns to improve function and resiliency.
The timing and planning of prescribed burns is likely to be impacted by shifts in spring and fall conditions, which determine burn suitability days.

Regional Applicability

The Midwest region has been shaped by managed fires, as Indigenous communities used prescribed burns to improve agriculture, hunting, and prairie landscapes for centuries.
In the past decade, there's been an increase in acres burned through prescribed fire across some states in the region, including Missouri, Iowa, and Kansas.
Prescribed fire can provide a tool for managing weeds and forest understory, improving soil health, and reducing wildfire risk across cropland and forests in the Midwest.

Case Studies

A recent project supported by the Wisconsin Sea Grant brought together 30 stakeholders and Tribal partners to illustrate the reciprocal relationship between forests and fire. Evan Larson, a Professor of Geography at University of Wisconsin-Platteville and co-lead of the project, describes the work: "Together, the memories of people and trees will help us understand the deep connections that weave the community of life found on the points now and in the past. They'll help guide us moving forward."

Resources

Wisconsin DNR: WisBurn: Wisconsin Fire Danger and Burn Permit Restrictions
Iowa DNR: Fire Management and Safety
Iowa Learning Farms: Rebirth: Prescribed Burning in Iowa
Iowa State Extension: Prescribed Fire
Video. Iowa State Extension: How to Perform a Prescribed Burn
USDA-NRCS: Prescribed Burning Iowa Job Sheet
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Fire Management
Video. Purdue University: Wildlife Habitat Hints: Prescribed Fire Techniques
Video. Purdue University: Wildlife Habitat Hints: Late Growing Season Prescribed Fire
Indiana Prescribed Fire Council: Prescribed Fire Resources
Indiana DNR: Prescribed Burning - Indiana Habitat Management Fact Sheet
University of Wisconsin Extension: Prescribed Fire and Wisconsin's Forests
University of Wisconsin Extension: The Changing Climate and Wisconsin's Forests
USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub: Effects of Fire on Ecosystem Carbon in the Midwest and Eastern United States
US Fish and Wildlife: Prescribed Burns for Grassland Management at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): Integrated Fire Management Voluntary Guidelines
USDA-NRCS Conservation Practice Standard: Prescribed Burning 338

References

USDA-NRCS (2020). Conservation Practice Standard Document, Prescribed Burning, Code 338. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/Prescribed_Burning_338_CPS_10_2020.pdf
USDA-NRCS (2020). Conservation Practice Overview, Prescribed Burning, Code 338. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/Prescribed_Burning_338_Overview_10_2020.pdf
Alcañiz, M., Outeiro, L., Francos, M., & Úbeda, X. (2018). Effects of prescribed fires on soil properties: A review. Science of the Total Environment, 613, 944-957.
Agbeshie, A. A., Abugre, S., Atta-Darkwa, T., & Awuah, R. (2022). A review of the effects of forest fire on soil properties. Journal of Forestry Research, 33(5), 1419-1441.
Fuhlendorf, S. D., Limb, R. F., Engle, D. M., & Miller, R. F. (2011). Assessment of prescribed fire as a conservation practice. Conservation Benefits of Rangeland Practices: Assessment, Recommendations, and Knowledge Gaps, 75-104.
Nave, L. E., Vance, E. D., Swanston, C. W., & Curtis, P. S. (2011). Fire effects on temperate forest soil C and N storage. Ecological Applications, 21(4), 1189-1201.
Meunier, J., & Sutheimer, C. M. (2022). Carbon Dynamics In Relation To Prescribed Fire In The Lake States.
Pastro, L. A., Dickman, C. R., & Letnic, M. (2011). Burning for biodiversity or burning biodiversity? Prescribed burn vs. wildfire impacts on plants, lizards, and mammals. Ecological Applications, 21(8), 3238-3253.
Wiedinmyer, C., & Hurteau, M. D. (2010). Prescribed fire as a means of reducing forest carbon emissions in the western United States. Environmental Science & Technology, 44(6), 1926-1932.
Hurteau, M., & North, M. (2009). Fuel treatment effects on tree-based forest carbon storage and emissions under modeled wildfire scenarios. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 7(8), 409-414.
Janowiak, M., Connelly, W. J., Dante-Wood, K., Giardina, C. P., Kayler, Z., Marcinkowski, K., et al., & Buford, M. (2017). Considering forest and grassland carbon in land management. General Technical Report, Washington Office, 95.
Keller, A. B., & Handler, S. (2024). Effects of Fire on Ecosystem Carbon in the Midwest and Eastern United States. Technology Transfer. Houghton, MI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Northern Forests Climate Hub. 8p. https://doi.org/10.32747/2024.8633530.ch

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Prescribed Burning photo 1 — Photo 1: A properly managed prescribed burn is a tool to manage vegetation.

Photo by Brooke DeCubellis, NRCS.

Prescribed Burning photo 2 — Photo 2: Prescribed burns reduce eastern red cedar encroachment in South Dakota.

Photo courtesy of South Dakota NRCS. Attribution: "2017 GrimBurn4" by USDA NRCS South Dakota, CC BY-SA 2.0.