According to Evan Burks in a post by the Washington Office of Communications for the USDA Forest Service, recent controlled burns in Arizona’s Gila County reflect an evolving approach to forest management in the western United States.
Local fire managers and the USDA Forest Service are utilizing both prescribed burns and natural wildfires to address dense forest growth and mitigate future wildfire risks.
Years of federal fire suppression policies have allowed forests in the West to grow densely, creating ideal conditions for large-scale wildfires.
Danny Whatley, a USDA Forest Service fire manager from Gila County, explained the accumulated fire risk, noting that putting off controlled burns is like accumulating a “fire debt” that eventually demands repayment.
Whatley said: “If there’s an accumulation of fuel, it’s due for a fire…every year you put it off.”
For many of Gila County’s 99 million residents living in wildfire-prone areas, managing the risks with fire has become essential.
Fire managers in Gila County have taken steps to create a safer environment through partnerships with local fire departments, state agencies, nonprofits, and the Forest Service.
Together, they’ve built a firebreak of cleared brush and thinned trees around local communities.
Joel Brandt, chief of the Pine-Strawberry Fire District, emphasized the importance of these preventative efforts: “It is far cheaper, far easier for us to prevent these kinds of things…than being reactive.”
Despite extensive preparation, Whatley noted that not all forest areas can be mechanically treated due to terrain.
Many challenging areas where fires occur are steep, remote, and lack the timber needed for profitable logging, making fire management essential.
Gila County officials have increasingly come to recognize that using prescribed burns is necessary to control the risks posed by accumulated forest fuel.
Late this summer, dry lightning ignited two wildfires in Gila County, providing an opportunity for fire managers to use nature’s ignition for forest management.
According to Whatley, these natural fires allowed the team to test their strategies in managing wildfires, reducing forest density in previously prepared areas.
While the decision to allow natural wildfires to burn is risky, Whatley and his team carefully considered the conditions.
After a thorough risk analysis and strategy review, they recommended using the natural fires for controlled burns, a plan approved by their superiors.
The team deployed firefighters, helicopters, and drones to manage the flames, ensuring the fires stayed within designated boundaries.
Despite the temporary inconvenience to local residents, fire management officials saw the event as an opportunity to clear overgrown vegetation and reduce the risk of future wildfires.
The decision to allow natural wildfires has raised mixed feelings among residents.
Some, like longtime Gila County resident Evelyn Beck, who was previously displaced by wildfire, understood the approach but found it unsettling.
“This fire was started by lightning, which could have easily been put out, but it was decided to use it as an advantage,” Beck said, noting her faith in fire management professionals despite the inherent risks.
Beck has taken steps to protect her property by trimming trees, cleaning gutters, and installing fire-resistant landscaping.
She acknowledged the paradox of fire management: “I won’t say I’m stressed about it…But yes, you have to be on guard.” Residents like Beck, who understand the fire management process, tend to have more confidence in controlled burn strategies.
By following preparedness measures, local communities like Gila County are learning to coexist with wildfire, seeing it not as an enemy but as a tool for long-term safety.
In Gila County, recent controlled burns have shown the benefits of integrating fire into forest management strategies.
This year, the USDA Forest Service successfully used fire to clear over 18,000 acres of dense vegetation that could have fueled larger wildfires.
This approach is part of the USDA’s “Wildfire Crisis Strategy,” which has treated nearly 1.7 million acres in the West to lower wildfire risks in areas home to hundreds of communities and essential infrastructure.
Local organizations, including Pine Strawberry Fuels Reduction Inc., work alongside the Forest Service to educate residents on fire safety.
“You need to be ready, you need to be informed, you need to be aware, and you need to be prepared,” said Elsa Steffanson, executive director of the non-profit.
Together, the community and fire managers continue to adopt strategies that reduce risks and ensure safety for residents in fire-prone regions.
In a recent event in Gila County, Arizona, the USDA Forest Service and local fire managers leveraged naturally ignited wildfires for controlled burns to address dense forest conditions.
This strategy, involving strategic use of natural and prescribed fires, reflects a shift in managing high-risk areas and follows years of groundwork with community partnerships.
Residents and officials alike acknowledge the approach’s necessity, aiming to balance proactive fire management with property safety.
This incident aligns with the USDA’s broader “Wildfire Crisis Strategy,” which targets forest management across western landscapes to reduce the risk of large-scale wildfires.
