Protecting the land we love: Reducing risk before fires start
Wildfire Prevention Technician Matt Michaliszyn and Smokey Bear pause for a photo while patrolling Arizona Snowbowl and providing wildfire prevention messaging. (Forest Service photo by Coconino National Forest fire prevention education team)
On the Española Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest,…
#Fire, #Education, #Youth, #FirePrevention
Smokey Bear Appearance Guidelines
Smokey Bear is one of the most recognizable figures in forestry and fire prevention. This factsheet, developed with the Ad Council and National Association of State Foresters, details the rules and expectations for those wearing the Smokey Bear costume and handlers who assist Smokey during appearances.
#SmokeyBear, #FirePrevention, #FireAndAviationManagement
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…