"Most people don't realize that some fire is good for the forest," said David Jarman, fire chief with the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources. "I'm afraid that we've almost oversold the message of forest fire prevention to the point that people think all fire in the forest is bad, and it's not."

The difference is controlled fire versus uncontrolled fire. Controlled fire used to accomplish specific goals in forest management is called "prescribed fire" or "prescribed burning."

Prescribed fire benefits certain forests by reducing the amount of leaves, branches and dead trees that build up on the forest floor and can fuel a wildfire; by promoting growth of new forage plants for wildlife; eliminating unwanted understory plants that use valuable nutrients, water and sunlight; controlling the spread of disease and insect infestations; improving accessibility for hikers, hunters and other recreational users; and enhancing the appearance and aesthetic value by opening up the forest view and attracting a wider variety of wildlife and plants.

North Carolina has more than 19 million acres of forests and timberlands. About 80 percent of the state's forests and timberlands are owned by individuals and timber companies. So the Division of Forest Resources, consulting foresters and forest product companies work closely with these owners to support good forest management techniques, including prescribed burning.

"The longleaf, shortleaf and loblolly pine species are the most abundant timber crops grown by individual owners as well as timber companies in eastern North Carolina," Jarman said. "These trees actually need fire occasionally to create and maintain the proper environment for them to flourish." Pines have thick bark that is very fire-resistant, so prescribed fire is an extremely effective tool in pine forest management.

Prescribed fire can be used at any stage in the life of a forest. In the beginning, it is used to clear a site for replanting a pine forest or for regenerating the stand naturally. In fact, longleaf pines require fire for their cones to open up and release their seeds, enabling the forest to regenerate without replanting.

In established forests, prescribed fire is used to eliminate undesired plants that compete for available nutrients, water and sunlight, as well as to improve wildlife habitats and control disease.

One of the most important uses of prescribed fire, however, is for wildfire prevention. "If you never do prescribed burning, the debris (leaves, branches, dead trees) in the forest will build up so that if there is a wildfire, the flames will reach the crowns of the trees and kill them," Jarman said.

When wildfires spread into forests where the understory debris has been burned away by prescribed fire, the lack of fast-burning fuel slows the wildfire so it burns itself out or firefighters can get it under control.

That's what happened in 1994 when wildfire ravaged more than 26,000 acres in the Croatan National Forest near New Bern. The intense fire spread quickly, fueled by the organic peat soil there. As it moved out of the high fuel areas and onto timberlands that had been prescribed burned, it slowed enough so that firefighters could gain control. "If there hadn't been some prescribed burn acres around it, I don't know where we would have stopped that fire," Jarman said. Forest landowners who use prescribed fire to clear away dangerous debris are literally "fireproofing" their forests.

Another advantage of using prescribed fire is that the time and place for the fires are controlled. "When we control the fire, we decide which days the weather and the fuel conditions are just right so that the intensity of the fire can be controlled," Jarman said. That means the fires are less likely to get out of control and cause unintended damage to any surrounding areas.

With only about a dozen really good burning days a year in North Carolina, only a small portion of the state's forestland can be treated with prescribed fire each year. So the Division of Forest Resources encourages the use of prescribed fire by plowing fire lines, at no cost, for landowners who do their own prescribed burning. The division also provides training for landowners and foresters who want to be certified prescribed burn managers.

These programs are intended to increase the number of acres of forests that can benefit from prescribed fire each year. The goal is not only to improve North Carolina's forests overall, but to help "fireproof" as much of the state's forests as possible.

Additionally, in May of this year the North Carolina General Assembly approved a bill designed to encourage prescribed burning by reducing the amount of liability landowners might have from smoke and smoke complaints when they use prescribed fire. The bill applies only to landowners who have been approved by the Division of Forest Resources as certified prescribed burn managers and who have an up-to-date forest management plan that specifies the need for a prescribed burn.

Anytime landowners do prescribed burning they must follow all state and local regulations and ordinances related to burning. "The person who applies for and signs the burning permit is responsible for that burn," Jarman said. "He must look at the weather conditions, the winds and the moisture content of the forest debris. He should have fire lines around the area to keep the burn within the burn area, and he must notify adjoining landowners beforehand that he intends to do the burn."

"Some people worry about smoke and air quality problems from prescribed burning," said Bob Slocum, executive vice president of the North Carolina Forestry Association. "But research has shown that wildfires create far more problems than controlled burning. Proper use of controlled fire can, in the long run, help protect air quality by reducing wildfires.