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Southeast Rx Fire

A source for the latest in prescribed fire throughout the southern U.S. Managed by NC State Ext For This blog is hosted by Extension Forestry at N.C.

Southeast Prescribed Fire Update (http://cnr.ncsu.edu/blogs/southeast-fire-update/) is a source for the latest news in prescribed fire. The Update provides landowners, consultants, agencies, academia, and the prescribed fire community with current training opportunities, press releases, event happenings, information, and education materials pertinent to prescribed burning in the southeastern Unit

ed States. State University for discussion and insight. This work is funded through grants to assist in fulfilling the Southeast Partnership for Planning and Sustainability’s (SERPPAS) goal of implementing a comprehensive, regional strategy to increase prescribed burning in the Southeast. No endorsement of products, viewpoints nor opinions are implied. Posted items are typically recent digital posts, publications and reports that caught our eye and may benefit or enhance your opinion and fact-finding. We are dedicated to the creation of networking and information-sharing by encouraging you to submit questions and comments pertaining to prescribed fire issues. So please feel free to post to this page!!

09/02/2026

The September Driptorch Digest is now available! 🔥

Check it out here: https://ncextension.activehosted.com/social/208810d1a16364191fa49232211de291.34248

This email newsletter is your one-stop shop for all things news, partner projects, new resources, upcoming events, funding opportunities, and other content relevant to the Southeastern community.

Make sure to subscribe!
go.ncsu.edu/newsletter_subscribe

08/31/2026

According to the Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center, there is above-normal wildfire potential expected across most of the Southern Plains into the Lower Mississippi Valley and South Florida in September.

This outlook is a valuable tool for planning burns or fire-risk events.

Take a look:https://www.nifc.gov/nicc-files/predictive/outlooks/monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf

Graphic Credit: National Interagency Fire Center

08/27/2026

The Joint Fire Science Program is offering several funding programs that may be used to support prescribed burning and fire science in the Southeast. Requests for proposals vary in their subject area, so check out the information in the pages listed below:

Fire Leaders and Managers, Emerging Scientists (FLAMES)
Drivers of changing wildfire regimes and consequences for wildfire risk factors
Smoke impacts from prescribed fire and wildfire
Regional Fire Science Exchange

Applications close September 17.

View the funding announcements: https://www.firescience.gov/ords/prd/jf_jfsp/r/jfspublic/jfsp-funding-announcements1?session=16247477311331

08/25/2026

When it comes to expanding prescribed fire, the biggest hurdle isn't always the science. It can also include the social dynamics. A recent West Texas Rangelands blog highlights a study of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service employees in Texas and Oklahoma to see what actually drives their land management recommendations.

The findings suggest that employees didn't base their advice on how much a landowner already knew about fire. Instead, positive personal interactions were the bigger influence. Staff were over three times more likely to recommend prescribed burning after a favorable conversation with a landowner.

Read the blog: https://agrilife.org/westtexasrangelands/socialinteractionsandfire/

Photo Credit: Jacob Court, West Texas Rangelands

08/21/2026

A recent Oklahoma State University Natural Resources Extension factsheet highlights that direct harm or mortality to big game animals from wildland fire is rare, as most animals easily flee or seek refuge.

Instead, fire's primary impact on wildlife populations occurs indirectly through habitat modification, such as stimulating high-quality forage growth, improving predator visibility, and limiting parasites. Long-term fire suppression leads to woody plant encroachment that degrades grasslands, whereas periodic burning helps maintain resilient ecosystems and supports species like bison, elk, pronghorn, and deer.

Read more: https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/fire-effects-big-game-animals-of-the-great-plains

Photo Credit: Liz Julian, USFWS

08/20/2026

In a major legal ruling, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a 2024 EPA rule that lowers the primary annual safety standard for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from 12.0 to 9.0 micrograms per cubic meter.

The court rejected arguments from states, industry groups, and the EPA itself seeking to vacate the rule. Instead, the court confirmed that the agency acted within its statutory authority under the Clean Air Act to protect public health with the original rule. Because PM2.5 is a primary component of wildland fire smoke, this ruling solidifies stricter federal air quality baselines across the country.

Read the ruling:https://www.uschamber.com/assets/documents/Opinion-Kentucky-v.-EPA-D.C.-Circuit.pdf

08/18/2026

The Youth-Engaged Fire Futures working paper from the UO Ecosystem Workforce Program shares insights from listening circles with 70 young people, ages 16 to 30, across western Oregon and northern California to help shape the future of fire workforce development.

The study reveals a high demand among diverse youth for fire careers that provide living wages, safe working environments, inclusive workplace cultures, and guidance rooted in Indigenous and place-based leadership. Authors emphasize that building a stronger workforce requires more than just filling open jobs; it means involving young people directly in rebuilding a more equitable and supportive fire management field.

Read more: https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/items/e99467b5-3578-4f8c-85e0-aaefbdcca053

Photo Credit: Xatímniim Drake (Karuk, Shasta, Hupa)

08/14/2026

The recently released SERPPAS Good Map is an interactive tool designed to combine the best available regional military, environmental, land use, and resilience data into a single platform.

By depicting shared priorities across the Southeast, the map allows partner organizations to identify overlapping interests and discover opportunities for joint action. This tool specifically focuses on Southeastern regional goals and features interactive capabilities like custom sketching, distance measuring, layer opacity adjustments, and data uploads.

Explore the map:
https://serppas.org/resources/serppas-good-map/

08/12/2026

The newly released TREX Guidebook: Considerations for Planning a Prescribed Fire Training Exchange from the Fire Learning Network serves as a practical planning resource for fire practitioners looking to organize their own Prescribed Fire Training Exchange events.

Since starting in 2008, TREX has grown to train over 5,400 participants and treat more than 225,000 acres. Rather than providing a rigid step-by-step manual, the guidebook helps organizers navigate various event formats, key planning questions, and goal-setting strategies.

Check out the Guidebook:
https://firenetworks.org/resource/trex-guidebook-considerations-for-planning-a-prescribed-fire-training-exchange/

Photo Credit: Kara Karboski

08/11/2026

America's Longleaf Restoration Initiative just released its 2025 Range-wide Accomplishment Report, showing over 1.5 million acres of prescribed fire implemented in longleaf habitat in the 2025 fiscal year. In a first time shift, private landowners burned more acres in longleaf habitat than federal agencies.

The report also highlights new ways partners are building up the fire workforce on the ground. It spotlighted growing grassroots efforts like Prescribed and Cultural Burn Associations, where association members team up to burn safely together, alongside student burn crews at colleges like NC State University.

Read the report:
https://americaslongleaf.org/media/dywnjzn5/2025-accomplishment-report.pdf

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