Fire
The Daniel Boone National Forest utilizes a variety of fire management tools including fire suppression, fire prevention and fuels management. The use of these tools in combination, enhances protection of forest resources, homes and adjacent lands.
“Wildfire” is a term applied to any unwanted, unplanned, damaging fire burning in forest, shrub or grass. The Daniel Boone National Forest averages approximately 150 wildfires annually which burn an average of 7,000 acres. While sometimes caused by lightning, nine out of ten wildfires are started by humans. Abandoned campfires, escaped debris burning, chainsaws, dragging trailer chains, carelessly tossed cigarettes, fireworks and firearm discharges can all cause wildfires.
Current Wildfires
As of March 24, 2025, there are no large wildfires on the Daniel Boone National Forest.
For information on wildfires on state and private lands, see the Kentucky Division of Forestry's Kentucky Wildfire Public Viewer.
Prescribed Fire
Prescribed fire refers to the controlled application of fire by a team of fire experts under specified weather conditions to reintroduce the beneficial effects of fire into an ecosystem and reduce the hazard of catastrophic wildfire caused by excessive fuel buildup.
Prescribed fire is a fire management tool that allows us to reintroduce the benefits of fire to the landscape in a safe and controlled way. Forest land managers prescribe fire to Forest areas as a way to better wildlife habitat, reduce forest fuels (like brush, dry leaves, and shrubs), and better the general health of the Forest. When conditions are just right, fire managers carry out the prescribed fire treatments essential to improving wildlife habitat and maintaining a healthy forest. Every year, fire managers successfully treat around 20,000 acres on the Daniel Boone National Forest through prescribed fire.
This Southern Region Prescribed Burn Accomplishment Tracker shows prescribed burns planned for this current year and burns completed this year. The map will also show active burns the day of the activity.
Southern Region Prescribed Burn Tracker
Every year, fire managers successfully treat around 20,000 acres on the Daniel Boone National Forest through prescribed fire. The Southern Region Prescribed Burn Tracker provides real-time updates for planned and completed prescribed fire activities on the Forest.
Fire Hire
Interested in becoming involved with some of the most challenging and rewarding jobs the Forest Service has to offer? Fire jobs are as diverse as the Forest Service itself, including firefighters, scientists, resource and business managers, computer and communications technicians. Visit Careers in Wildland Fire to learn more about Forest Service fire positions.
Wildland Fire Maps & GIS Data
The Wildland Fire Interagency Geospatial Services (WFIGS) Group provides authoritative wildland fire maps and data for the country on the National Interagency Fire Center Open Data Site.
Prescribed fire is a fire management tool that allows us to reintroduce the benefits of fire to the landscape in a safe and controlled way. Forest land managers prescribe fire to Forest areas as a way to better wildlife habitat, reduce forest fuels (like brush, dry leaves, and shrubs), and better the general health of the Forest.
Every year, fire managers successfully treat around 20,000 acres on the Daniel Boone National Forest through prescribed fire. The Southern Region Prescribed Burn Tracker provides real-time updates for planned and completed prescribed fire activities on the Forest.
InciWeb is an interagency all-risk incident information management system that serves to provide the public a single source of information about active fire incidents.