Prescribed Fire

Prescribed fire is the planned application of low-intensity fire to the landscape by fire and fuel specialists to maintain healthy, resilient landscapes.  Prescribed fires utilize strategic plans in accordance with applicable laws, policies and regulations to meet specific land management objectives.
Female firefighter holding a drip tourch in front of fire

All Resources on Prescribed Fire

  • Purpose To protect high‑risk communities and nearby forest resources by reducing the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires on both private and public lands through the use of prescribed fire. Practices Prescribed burning. Eligibility Texas landowners within U.S. Congressional District 11. Application Applications open onlineannually June 1 through July 14. The Texas A&M Forest Service Stand Ready […]
  • Purpose To support landowners in utilizing prescribed fire for ecological improvements within the Neches River and Cypress Basin watersheds while also protecting nearby high-risk communities.  Practices Prescribed burning. Eligibility Texas private landowners within communities located within the Neches River and Cypress Basin watersheds. Application Applications open onlineannually June 1 through July 14. We will supply […]
  • Texas A&M Forest Service is hosting a prescribed fire landowner workshop in Junction, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 18. The workshop is designed to assist landowners, prescribed burn managers and prescribed burn associations in West Texas with fundamentals, tactics and best practices of using prescribed fire as a land management tool. Continuing education unit credits for […]
  • An analysis of land management conditions favorable to prescribed burning.
  • We and our partners hold an annual Prescribed Burn Manager Training each spring (May/June) in the Lufkin, Texas, area. Students who pass the final exam will meet the education requirements for becoming a TDA Certified and Insured Prescribed Burn Manager in region 4 (East Texas).   The course is open to the public, but pre-registration is […]
  • Preparation Prescribed fires are thoroughly planned and have a clear goal. These factors and others are included in a burn plan.   Burn plans are created by a burn manager before a prescribed fire. They account for the parameter of the fire, smoke management instructions, weather, hazards, contingencies, vegetation and surface information, and more.   In preparation […]
  • Fire is a normal, natural, and essential process in the Texas landscape, and has been used for centuries, even before European settlement. Prescribed fire is important for sustainable ecosystems today as it is one of the most effective, cost-efficient land management tools.   Conducting a prescribed burn can produce a host of ecosystem and fire mitigation […]
  • Texas A&M Forest Service awarded over $951,000 to 168 landowners to conduct prescribed fires this year. This funding will treat 35,138 acres. Prescribed fire is a strategic land management tool that uses low-intensity fire on a specific area of land to achieve set goals. Prescribed fire is the most effective and efficient land management tool […]
  • Resources
  • The TPWD Private Lands RX Fire Briefing Outline
  • A map showing the eligibility area for the SFC-ETX prescribed fire grant
  • Use the map to determine your eligibility for a prescribed fire grant.
  • Purpose The goal is to protect high-risk communities and aid in ecosystem restoration by utilizing prescribed fire to consume excess vegetation before it contributes to catastrophic wildfire.    Practices Prescribed burning.  Eligibility Texas private landowners within communities located in the Panhandle, Northwest, West and South Texas  Application The online application period is open in June 1 […]
  • Purpose To protect high-risk communities and associated forest resources by reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire on private and public lands.   Practices Prescribed burning.  Eligibility Landowners within 10 miles of a National Forest boundary in Texas. These U.S. Forest Service lands include the Sam Houston, Sabine, Davy Crockett, and Angelina National Forests.   Application Applications open […]
  • Purpose To help reduce high-risk fuels on private and non-federal public lands using prescribed burning to protect communities and aid ecosystem restoration.  Practices Prescribed burning. Eligibility Landowners in 20 East Texas counties that contain concentrations of federal lands, have a high social vulnerability index rating, and high-risk fuels.  Application Applications open online annually June 1 […]
  • A prescribed fire burn plan is required for each burn. The plan is prepared by qualified personnel conducting the burn and includes criteria for the conditions under which the fire will be conducted—a prescription.  Below leads you through each element of a prescribed burn plan with links to instructions and useful information when preparing and […]
  • Before putting fire on the ground, fire managers complete a GO/NO-GO Checklist.   The person responsible for conducting the burn has the responsibility to complete and sign the checklist before the burn. The checklist indicates that all necessary steps and notifications are complete, and that the treatment will be implemented within the planned prescription.   The resources […]
  • We promote the use of safe and effective prescribed fire on public and private land in Texas. We encourage you to report burn activities using the Texas Prescribed Burn Reporting System to help fire managers monitor land and forest conditions as well as quantify fuel across the state.     This voluntary survey provides our agency and […]
  • By law, you are required to notify Texas A&M Forest Service prior to conducting any prescribed burning for forest management purposes.   We encourage anyone statewide to notify an agency dispatch office prior to any prescribed burning.  To make notification on the day of your burn, complete the Rx Burn Notification Form. Note: The Rx Burn Notification Form […]
  • Texas A&M Forest Service and prescribed fire  We conduct prescribed fires on State Forests and state lands to reduce hazardous fuels. This protects surrounding communities and provides wildland training opportunities for local cooperators like fire departments and natural resource agencies.   Our prescribed burn managers hold NWCG Prescribed Burn Boss Type 2 qualifications, and all […]
  • Texas A&M Forest Service is offering more than $800,000 in grants to help East Texas landowners offset the cost of prescribed fire to reduce wildfire risks and restore ecosystems. The grant application is now available for eligible landowners conducting prescribed burns on their property by certified and insured prescribed burn managers. The deadline to apply is […]
  • Information sheet on using prescribed fire for site preparation
  • Information sheet on using prescribed fire for forest management
  • Texas A&M Forest Service awarded 126 recipients grants to conduct prescribed burns this year. For the 2024 fiscal year, the agency has approved more than $705,000 in grant funds to private landowners in Texas with a goal to treat 25,104 acres.
  • Texas A&M Forest Service is accepting applications for grants to help Texas landowners offset the cost of prescribed fire.
  • Effective September 1, 2023, members of the timber industry will be better protected buying and selling timber in Texas.
  • Texas A&M Forest Service has awarded $522,162 in grants to Texas landowners for the treatment of more than 18,000 acres with prescribed burning.
  • Texas A&M Forest Service is accepting applications for grants to help eligible Texas property owners with the cost of prescribed burning on their land.
  • Texas A&M Forest Service is now accepting grant applications for the State Fire Assistance for Mitigation – Plains Prescribed Fire Grant through August 15, 2022.
  • Texas A&M Forest Service awarded 81 recipients grants to conduct prescribed burns this year.
  • Texas A&M Forest Service is accepting grant applications to offset the cost of prescribed burning on private lands for Central and East Texas landowners through September 30, 2021.
  • Texas A&M Forest Service is now accepting grant applications for the State Fire Assistance for Mitigation – Plains Prescribed Fire Grant through August 15, 2021.
  • When Texans see a pillar of smoke rising out of a forest or state park, our gut instinct is always the same: wildfire. However, that isn’t always the case.
  • Texas A&M Forest Service is now accepting grant applications through September 30, 2020 to offset the cost of prescribed burning on private lands for Central and East Texas landowners.
  • Texas A&M Forest Service is now accepting grant applications for the State Fire Assistance for Mitigation – Plains Prescribed Fire Grant through August 15. The grant will provide $81,000 in total funding for prescribed burns.
  • Texas A&M Forest Service, in cooperation with the Texas Army National Guard, plans to conduct a 3,700-acre prescribed burn at Camp Bowie Feb. 25 through 28. Texas A&M Forest Service has been monitoring weather conditions and has scheduled the burn when the weather and fuel conditions meet the prescription.
  • Texans are using prescribed fire more than ever to manage land and mitigate wildfires. Now there is data to support this. A recent statewide survey found that 402,017 acres were treated with prescribed fire in Texas during 2018.
  • Now through September 30, 2019, Texas A&M Forest Service is accepting grant applications to reimburse landowners for the costs of having a prescribed burn conducted on their property by certified and insured prescribed burn mangers. Last year the programs were utilized for over 13,500 acres of treatments.
  • Texans from across the state gathered today in the high desert city of El Paso to celebrate the State Arbor Day and the importance of a community’s tree canopy. Today’s celebration, themed Growing our Desert Canopy, is a nod to the City’s mission to have safe and beautiful neighbor
  • Prescribed fire application for 2018 community protection program
  • 2018 national fire plan grant application
  • 2018 Prescribed fire grant recipients
  • Texans from across the state gathered today in Grand Prairie, Texas to celebrate the State Arbor Day and all the benefits trees provide to people and communities. Festivities were held at Grand Central and featured a
  • 2017 national fire plan grant summary
  • 2017 Community Protection Program grant summary
  • Lake Kiowa is being recognized for maintaining their status as an active Firewise Community recognized by the National Fire Protection Association, as part of their nationwide Firewise Communities/USA program.
  • The Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership is providing $60,000 to landowners near the Sam Houston National Forest for prescribed burning. The funds reimburse eligible landowners who have taken measures to reduce grass and brush, enhance ecosystems and pro
  • 2016 Community Protection Program grant summary
  • Texas A&M Forest Service will host a workshop called Managing Land and Vegetation in Southeast Texas. The workshop covers how using prescribed fire and fuel reduction treatments can reduce the risk of wildfire.
  • East Texas landowners may now be reimbursed for helping to reduce overgrown vegetation on their lands. In an effort to reduce wildfire hazards on private property, Texas A&M Forest Service is offering grants to conduct prescribed burning.
  • 2015 Community Protection Program grant summary
  • information on prescribed fire grant
  • information on prescribed fire grant
  • Purpose To protect high‑risk communities and nearby forest resources by reducing the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires on both private and public lands through the use of prescribed fire. Practices Prescribed burning. Eligibility Texas landowners within U.S. Congressional District 11. Application Applications open onlineannually June 1 through July 14. The Texas A&M Forest Service Stand Ready […]
  • Purpose To support landowners in utilizing prescribed fire for ecological improvements within the Neches River and Cypress Basin watersheds while also protecting nearby high-risk communities.  Practices Prescribed burning. Eligibility Texas private landowners within communities located within the Neches River and Cypress Basin watersheds. Application Applications open onlineannually June 1 through July 14. We will supply […]
  • We and our partners hold an annual Prescribed Burn Manager Training each spring (May/June) in the Lufkin, Texas, area. Students who pass the final exam will meet the education requirements for becoming a TDA Certified and Insured Prescribed Burn Manager in region 4 (East Texas).   The course is open to the public, but pre-registration is […]
  • Preparation Prescribed fires are thoroughly planned and have a clear goal. These factors and others are included in a burn plan.   Burn plans are created by a burn manager before a prescribed fire. They account for the parameter of the fire, smoke management instructions, weather, hazards, contingencies, vegetation and surface information, and more.   In preparation […]
  • Fire is a normal, natural, and essential process in the Texas landscape, and has been used for centuries, even before European settlement. Prescribed fire is important for sustainable ecosystems today as it is one of the most effective, cost-efficient land management tools.   Conducting a prescribed burn can produce a host of ecosystem and fire mitigation […]
  • Resources
  • Use the map to determine your eligibility for a prescribed fire grant.
  • Purpose The goal is to protect high-risk communities and aid in ecosystem restoration by utilizing prescribed fire to consume excess vegetation before it contributes to catastrophic wildfire.    Practices Prescribed burning.  Eligibility Texas private landowners within communities located in the Panhandle, Northwest, West and South Texas  Application The online application period is open in June 1 […]
  • Purpose To protect high-risk communities and associated forest resources by reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire on private and public lands.   Practices Prescribed burning.  Eligibility Landowners within 10 miles of a National Forest boundary in Texas. These U.S. Forest Service lands include the Sam Houston, Sabine, Davy Crockett, and Angelina National Forests.   Application Applications open […]
  • Purpose To help reduce high-risk fuels on private and non-federal public lands using prescribed burning to protect communities and aid ecosystem restoration.  Practices Prescribed burning. Eligibility Landowners in 20 East Texas counties that contain concentrations of federal lands, have a high social vulnerability index rating, and high-risk fuels.  Application Applications open online annually June 1 […]
  • A prescribed fire burn plan is required for each burn. The plan is prepared by qualified personnel conducting the burn and includes criteria for the conditions under which the fire will be conducted—a prescription.  Below leads you through each element of a prescribed burn plan with links to instructions and useful information when preparing and […]
  • Before putting fire on the ground, fire managers complete a GO/NO-GO Checklist.   The person responsible for conducting the burn has the responsibility to complete and sign the checklist before the burn. The checklist indicates that all necessary steps and notifications are complete, and that the treatment will be implemented within the planned prescription.   The resources […]
  • We promote the use of safe and effective prescribed fire on public and private land in Texas. We encourage you to report burn activities using the Texas Prescribed Burn Reporting System to help fire managers monitor land and forest conditions as well as quantify fuel across the state.     This voluntary survey provides our agency and […]
  • By law, you are required to notify Texas A&M Forest Service prior to conducting any prescribed burning for forest management purposes.   We encourage anyone statewide to notify an agency dispatch office prior to any prescribed burning.  To make notification on the day of your burn, complete the Rx Burn Notification Form. Note: The Rx Burn Notification Form […]
  • Texas A&M Forest Service and prescribed fire  We conduct prescribed fires on State Forests and state lands to reduce hazardous fuels. This protects surrounding communities and provides wildland training opportunities for local cooperators like fire departments and natural resource agencies.   Our prescribed burn managers hold NWCG Prescribed Burn Boss Type 2 qualifications, and all […]
Back to top