Step by step: Forests of the future
Forests in the West used to be a lot more open, so wildfires were much less severe. How do we know? By looking at tree rings! We can actually see scars from old wildfires in cross-sections like this one. By cross-dating fire scars from multiple trees, scientists can reconstruct what past forests looked like including how dense forests were. (Forest Service video by Erika Reiter)Near the community…
#PrescribedFire, #Dendrochronology, #Fire, #FireScience, #Thinning, #WildfirePrevention, #FirePrevention, #Planning, #Wildfire
Putting fire on the ground
Fire personnel monitor the Crystal Reservoir prescribed fire near Colorado Springs, Colorado, on May 16, 2025. (Forest Service photo by Josh Cowden)
In places like the Pike-San Isabel National Forests across the country, fire has shaped the land for thousands of years. Many forests depend on…
#PrescribedFire, #Fire, #ControlledBurn, #FirePrevention, #WildfirePrevention, #WildfireRiskReduction, #PikeNationalForest
The fire that never starts
When 95% of wildfires are started by humans — especially in a part of the country like Southern California with 25 million people — stopping wildfires before they start is a lofty goal.But for Nicole Molinari, an ecologist for the Forest Service, a recent mapping effort contains a compelling insight — nearly two thirds of human-caused fires occur along roadsides in the area…
#Fire, #FirePrevention, #WildfirePrevention, #Grasslands, #NativePlants, #Wildfire, #WildfireRiskReduction
Happy Birthday, Smokey Bear!
On August 9th, 2025, Smokey Bear turns 81 years young! Here he's celebrating early with a young fan on the National Mall. (USDA Forest Service photo by Preston Keres)
Here at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, wildfire prevention is a big priority. There’s no better…
#SmokeysBirthday, #SmokeyBear, #WildfirePrevention, #FirePrevention, #Fire, #OutdoorSafety
Salvaging success
When a tornado swept through the Sabine National Forest in March 2025, it left behind a trail of broken trees, downed limbs and hundreds of acres of damaged timber. But in just 28 days, the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, turned destruction into opportunity by mobilizing resources, assessing the damage and awarding two salvage stewardship sales to help…
#SabineNationalForest, #Timber, #Restoration, #Texas, #NationalForestsAndGrasslandsInTexas, #FirePrevention, #Hazards, #HazardousFuels, #Weather, #FuelLoads, #FuelReduction
Woodsy Owl’s Fourth of July tips
It’s me, Woodsy Owl! I hope you’ll come celebrate the 4th of July on a national forest or grassland with us, so I’ve got some tips to help make your trip a blast. (USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya Flores)
It’s almost the Fourth of July! The Nation’s 249th Birthday! I’m as excited as you are…