Welcome to the North Cascades
Prescribed Burn Association!

What is Prescribed Fire?

Prescribed fire, also known as controlled burning, is the intentional use of fire under carefully planned conditions to manage and restore ecosystems. Unlike wildfires, which can be unpredictable and destructive, prescribed burns are conducted under specific weather conditions to ensure safety and effectiveness. This time-tested land management tool helps prevent catastrophic wildfires, supports biodiversity, and maintains the natural balance of fire-adapted landscapes.

What is a Prescribed Burn Association?

A Prescribed Burn Association is a group of landowners, fire practitioners, and interested citizens that come together in collaboration to put “good fire” back on the land through the use of prescribed burn practices. The association brings shared knowledge, equipment, and workforce to help conduct burns, reduce risk and remove barriers to burn on private lands. 

The NCPBA is a community-oriented organization committed
to educating people on all aspects of prescribed burning.

Workshops are held several times a year on understanding fuels, weather forecasting, fire behavior, current regulations, equipment use, safety, and many others.

Community members are also invited to gain practical experience on demonstration fires and are provided with all necessary training.

Why Use Prescribed Fire?

Prescribed fire is a valuable tool for land management, balancing ecological health with fire safety. It is used for: 

• Reducing hazardous fuels – Removes dead and down wood, lowering the risk of severe wildfires.

• Restoring forest health – Helps vegetation stay healthy, making forests resilient to pests, disease and drought.

• Protecting communities – Creates defensible space around homes and infrastructure by reducing flammable vegetation.

• Improving habitat – Encourages new plant growth, benefiting wildlife that depend on nutritious browse.

• Favoring certain species – Helps reduce non fire-resistant plants and promotes the growth of fire-dependent species.

• Enhancing soil fertility – Ground fire reduces compacted litter and duff, and ash from burned vegetation returns nutrients to the soil.

• Encouraging biodiversity – Creates a mosaic of landscape for a greater variety of plant and animal species to thrive.

• Supporting cultural and Indigenous practices – Many Indigenous communities have used fire for centuries to maintain healthy landscapes.

• Maintaining meadows and pastures – Prevents tree encroachment in prairies and grassland.

• Reducing pests and disease – Controls harmful insects and plant diseases that can spread in dense forests.