Most fire and natural resource managers across the Southeast agree that prescribed fire reduces wildfire risk. After all, fuels reduction is an objective that is often included in burn plans, and many managers and landowners have seen firsthand how wildfires respond in unburned versus frequently burned areas. But beyond observational and anecdotal information, what scientific findings do we have that prescribed fire reduces wildfire risk? And how long do these effects last? These questions have been asked for at least 50 years in the South and a number of research studies have addressed them from various angles. This fact sheet summarizes the conclusions of five studies conducted in pine flatwoods ecosystems.
