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Publication #FOR 73

Chapter 2: Publications on Wildland Fire1

Martha C. Monroe, and Susan Marynowski2

This document is a chapter in the Wildland Fire Education Handbook. To learn more about the handbook, please refer to Chapter 1: Introduction to the Wildland Fire Education Handbook (FOR 72).

This chapter of the Wildland Fire Education Handbook guides you to publications created especially for this program and lists additional existing fire education publications.

Sources for Toolkit Publications and Resources

Wildland Fire Education Toolkit Publications

Despite the large number of publications available nationally about wildland fire, Florida's unique ecosystems demand a set of locally relevant and ecosystem-specific publications. The authors and partners of the Wildland Fire Education Toolkit are pleased to make available the following publications which were created especially for this program by the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. They are available on the web at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu and are easily accessed through http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/Extension/ExtInfo.html under Fire Information.

The brochure on landscape guidelines is written for the general public living in fire-prone ecosystems, a similar message is presented in the publication on developing lands for those who make decisions about developments. The publications on air quality and wildlife are written for the general public with specific questions about these common concerns. Publications on prescribed fire are written for those who might use this management tool on their land or around their subdivision. The publication on demonstration areas is for extension agents.

  1. Landscaping in Florida with Fire in Mind (IFAS fact sheet #FOR 71)

  2. Developing Land in Florida with Fire in Mind: Recommendations for Designers, Developers, and Decision Makers (IFAS fact sheet #FOR 63)

  3. Where There's Fire, There's Smoke: Air Quality and Prescribed Burning in Florida (IFAS fact sheet #FOR 62)

  4. Prescribed Burning Regulations in Florida (IFAS fact sheet #FOR 67)

  5. Benefits of Prescribed Burning (IFAS fact sheet #FOR 70)

  6. Designing a Prescribed Fire Demonstration Area (IFAS fact sheet #FOR 64)

  7. Effects of Fire on Florida's Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat (IFAS fact sheet #WEC137)

Additional publications (doorhangers, brochures, educators' guides, and booklets) are available from the Florida Division of Forestry. The Florida Division of Forestry can be reached by phone at (850) 488-4274 or on the web at http://www.fl-dof.com.

Additional Resources on Wildland Fire in Florida

  1. Anatomy of a Prescribed Burn (4-page newsletter article), The Virginia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Summer 1999. Virginia Chapter News. This article provides an excellent breakdown of the steps and stages of a prescribed burn. The article follows a prescribed burn at a preserve from the initial planning stages through the actual burn and its aftermath. For more information contact the Virginia chapter of The Nature Conservancy at (804) 295-6106 or on the web at: http://www.tnc.org/virginia.

  2. Facts about fire in the native landscape: Part I (2-page article), Christman, A., M. Minno, and S. Miller. Winter 1998-99. The Palmetto 18:4. An introduction to fire ecology and a discussion of how development patterns and drainage of wetlands may contribute to risk from wildfires. The Palmetto published by the Florida Native Plant Society, and may be available at local libraries or by calling (407) 951-2210.

  3. Fire: Rx for Health in Florida's Natural Areas (4-page article), Dye, Robert. Fall 1989. Florida Naturalist. A complete introduction to the history of fire in Florida, the problems of fire suppression, the benefits of fire to natural systems, effects of fire on plants and animals, and the benefits and concerns of prescribed fire. Florida Naturalist is the magazine of the Florida Audubon Society, and may be available at local libraries. Contact the Florida Audubon Society at (407) 539-5700 or on the web at http://www.audubon.usf.edu.

  4. Division of Forestry Publications: Good Fire, Bad Fire (doorhanger); Fire Safe in the Interface (doorhanger); Know the Law Before You Strike That Match in a Rural County (brochure); Know the Law Before You Strike That Match in a Non-Rural County (brochure); A Partnership for the People—No. 1: Home Fire Safety (brochure); A Partnership for the People—No. 2: Mobile Home Fire Safety (brochure); A Partnership for the People—No. 3: Woodland Homes Fire Safety (brochure); Prescribed Fire in the Wildland/Urban Interface (brochure); Protecting Your Home from Wildfire (brochure); Using Fire Wisely (brochure), Wildfire! (brochure), Florida Division of Forestry. 1985-1999 (various dates). The Florida Division of Forestry produces a number of publications about wildfire and home fire safety issues. Available from the Florida Division of Forestry, 3125 Conner Boulevard, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650, (850) 488-4274. Information also is available on the web at http://www.fl-dof.com.

  5. A Guide for Prescribed Fire in Southern Forests (56-page booklet), USDA Forest Service and National Wildfire Coordinating Group. February 1989. A technical publication on prescribed fire in the Southeast, this is one of the training manuals used in prescribed fire courses. This booklet is perfect for landowners or ranchers wanting to get involved in prescribed burning on their land. Available from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, Boise Interagency Fire Center, ATTN: Supply, 3905 Vista Avenue, Boise, ID 83705, order #NFES 2108.

  6. Prescribed Fire : A Prescription for a Healthy Florida (brochure), St. Johns Water Management District. March 1999. This brochure focuses on prescribed fire in Florida. It provides good introductory information on the reasons, benefits, and other facts about prescribed fire. For more information contact the St. Johns Water Management District at (904) 329-4404 or on the web at http://sjr.state.fl.us.

  7. Protecting your home from forest fires, IFAS fact sheet #FOR59 (4-page fact sheet), Monroe, M. and A. Long. 1999. Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Discusses homeowner wildfire protection practices and the role of controlled burns in creating a fire-resistant landscape. Available on the web at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

  8. Save your home from Florida wildfires (19-page booklet), Florida Department of Community Affairs. 1998. FDCA with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Florida Division of Forestry. An in-depth discussion of homeowner wildfire protection practices and emergency procedures. Available from the Department of Community Affairs, Bureau of Recovery and Mitigation, 2555 Shumard Oak Boulevard, Tallahassee, FL 32399-2100, (850) 413-9884.

  9. USGS Fire Research in the Southeast (information news release) United States Geological Survey. September 1999. An informative paper about fire research in the southeastern United States. Research scientists describe projects in North and South Florida that examine the complex ecological effects of natural fires. This release contains a lot of technical information and gives a good overview of fire ecology in the Southeast. Available on the web at http://biology.usgs.gov/pr/newsrelease/1999/9-17.htm.

  10. Wildlife Habitat Considerations When Burning and Roller Chopping Florida Range, IFAS Fact Sheet #WEC6 (4-page fact sheet) Tanner, G. W. and W.R. Marion. 1990. Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. A fact sheet on wildlife habitat concerns for tree farmers or ranchers using fire to improve range or forest conditions. This fact sheet would also be appropriate reading for people concerned about the effects of fire on wildlife. To order this publication visit the web at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/order.html.

Footnotes

1. This document is FOR 73, a chapter in the Wildland Fire Education Handbook, Circular 1245, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Published in January 2000; revised in March 2000. Reviewed August 2006. Part of this publication may be reproduced for educational use, please provide credit to the School of Forest Resources and Conservation. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. Martha C. Monroe, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Susan Marynowski, Program Coordinator, Alison Bowers, Program Coordinator, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.