1. Fire Management, No Expiration Listed Page 1 ot2
MICHIGAN SOCIETY
OF AMERICAN FORESTERS
Upper Peninsula & Lower Peninsula Chapters
FIRE A,IANAGEAAENT
POSITION STATEAAENT
Posifion: Fire is on integrol component of mony forest ecosystems in Michigon, and is on essentiol
monogement tool for improving the heolth ond sustoinobility of these forests. People living ond working in
these {ire-prone forests are at grect risk from wildf ire. Fire is intrinsically neither good nor bad. Fire con
be extremely beneficial when used as o component of o monogement strotegy to ochieve specific ecosystem
objectives. Unplonned ond uncontrolled,lire con be extremely destructive to life and property.
The use of fire os o tool must reflect the lond monogement objectives of o given forest oreo. The benefits
of fire os d honogement tool must be bolonced ogainst the risks to people should prescribed fire escape.
Prescribed fires must be plonned to minimize the potentiol odverse heolth ond visibility effects of smoke
ond the risk of escape.
Professional foresters should work to inform people living in wildlond oreos ond locol governments obout
fireprevention and the risks ossocioted with wildfire.They should encou?age ond strive for reolistic
zoning, building, ond insuronce codes.People living in wildlond oreos need to know the specific wildfire risks
they f ace, how they con pnevenf fires, ond how to improve the sofety of structures in the evenl of afire.
Professionol foresters should also seek out opportunities to inform residents of wildlond oneos ond locol
governments obout thebenefits and sofe use of prescribed fire.
The skills ond resounces of land monogement agencies ond locol fire departments to suppress wildfires ond
carry out prescribed fires should be mointoined ond improved.
Issue: More thon ever before,people are building homes in wooded oreos. Mony of these forest ecosystems
orefire-evolved. Fuel types ond climote, coupled with higher probobilities of ignition due to humon
presence, mqke cotostrophic f ires olmost o certointy. These homes are often built of moferiols or in a
monner thot preclude their defense if o wildfire opproaches the structure. Lond monogement agency fire
crews well-troined and efticient in the control of wildland fires sre often not troined or eguipped to
suppress structurol fires, so coordinotion with locol f ire deportments is essential.
Issue: Some Michigon forest types,such os jock pine ond poper birch, hove evolved o f ire-odopted ecology.
Also, some endongered species, such os the Kirtlond's worbler ond Korner blue butterfly, rely on hobitots
thot were historicolly teated by freguent wildfires. Certoin stond chorocteristics con only be teotedby,
or ore best ochievedby,the use of prescribed fire. Maintenonceof theecologicol integrity of porticulor
rarevegetotion types, such os sovonnos ond proirie londs, requires the use of fire.
http://forestry.msu.edu/msaf/Soc%20News/PosStates/Fire.htm 316102

2. Fire Management, No Expiration Listed Page 2ol2
Issue: Foiling to allow professionol flexibility in the use of fire as o manogement tool con result in
undesirable impocts to the citizens ond noturol resources of the stote. Lcnd monogement professionols
recognize fire ss o modifier of theenvironment ond the importonce of its role in mointoining forest heolth
ond froductivity. Most lond monogement ogencies ond privote corprote londowners hovefire monogement
plicies thot include wildf ire suppression and prescribed fire. These policies integrate the use of fire into
lond monogement strotegies.
Issue: Smoke from pnescribed burns con temprarily couse discomfort to neorby residents ond reduce
visibility neor highwoys, oirports, ond elsewhere. Qnthe other hond, periodic prescribed fires cqn reduce
fuel loods, resuliing in lower smoke and particulote emissions ond fine intensity from wildfires thot will
inevitobly occur in f ire-prone forest types.
Discussion; The gool of modern f ire monogement is to minimize the destructive effects of fire while
moximizing its long-term benefits. Fire monogement recognizes thot fire hos on importont ploce in the
lcndscope cs o noturol Process.
Michigon ond the ofher Greot Lokes Stofes have o long history of catostrophic wildlond fires.In 1871the
peshtigo Fire killed 1,500 people qnd burned obout 1.5 million acres,mostly in Wisconsin. The Thumb Fires
of thot some yeor burned o million ocres. More recently, the 1976 Wolsh Ditch Fire burned 72,500 ac?es:
the 1980 Mock Loke Fire burned 25,OOO acres,44 homes, and cloimed onelife: and the 1990 Stephon
Bridge Rood Fire burned 6,000 acres ond 76 residences.
The continued educotion of londowners ond builders, the odoption of oppropriote building ond insurance
codes,ond mointoining ond improving the skills ond resources of lond monogement agencies ond local f ire
deportments to suppress wildf ires and corry out prescribed fires will help ensure sofer ond heolthier
forest oreqs which meet the needs cnd objectives of society.
MSAF Home Page
This websife is mainfained by Bill Cook. lvlichigan Sfafe tJniversify Extension Forester in fhe Upper Pensinsula.
Commenfs, questions, and suggesfions are grafefully accepfed. Ediforial issues can be addressed fo Eric Thompson.
t-asf update of fhis page was 04 April 2001.
http ://forestry. msu.edu/msaf/Soc%20News/PosStatesiFi re. htm 316102