Southeast Rx Fire

The 2025 Prescribed Fire Liability Report for the Southern United States from the Southeastern Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS) Wildland Fire Work Group has now been released. 🔥

Led by Brooks Pierce Law Firm, the report provides a comprehensive overview of how statutory laws and legal precedents govern controlled burning across the region. It analyzes how different southern states handle liability, specifically highlighting the legal distinctions between simple negligence, gross negligence, and strict liability standards, and how these rules directly impact a burner's exposure to lawsuits in the event of an escaped fire or smoke incident.

Scan the QR code or clink the link below to learn more!
http://go.ncsu.edu/rxfireliabilityreport

🔥Tippin’ Torch: Tips for the Season!

Above-normal temperatures are likely over the next few months and as we go out into that heat to do work, let's remind ourselves about the risks and mitigations of heat-related illness.

Check out this short selection of useful resources below:

6 Minutes for Safety briefs on Heat Stress and Heat Disorders:
https://www.nwcg.gov/6mfs/firefighter-health-and-first-aid/heat-stress
https://www.nwcg.gov/6mfs/firefighter-health-and-first-aid/heat-disorders

Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center blog post about heat stress:
https://wildfirelessons.wpcomstaging.com/2020/06/12/heat-stress-its-not-just-about-drinking-water/

CDC HeatRisk Tool to find the current HeatRisk for your area:
https://ephtracking.cdc.gov/Applications/HeatRisk/

Southeast Heat Monitor:
https://products.climate.ncsu.edu/heat-monitor/?utm_source=Merged+Symposium+and+Newsletter+Lists&utm_campaign=348b502023-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_05_20_01_39_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bd5faaf92a-348b502023-450838867

The June Driptorch Digest is now available! 🔥

Check it out here: https://ncextension.activehosted.com/social/c8d07e8982eec15cf1002efafc1d7cf8.32095

This email newsletter is your one-stop shop for all things news, partner projects, new resources, upcoming events, funding opportunities, and other content relevant to the Southeastern community.

Make sure to subscribe!
go.ncsu.edu/newsletter_subscribe

A recent blog post from the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center on "Best Practices Around Snakes for Wildland Firefighters" discusses the importance of situational awareness on the fireline, specific safety protocols for encountering venomous species, and immediate first-aid considerations for snakebites in remote areas.

Read the full blog post: https://wildfirelessons.wpcomstaging.com/2026/05/12/best-practices-around-snakes-for-wildland-firefighters/

Upcoming workshop on wildlife management happening in Alamance County on Saturday, June 20th!

The workshop will include topics such as prescribed fire, aligning management with your objectives, helpful management techniques, and financial opportunities!

Register by June 12th for $15 (includes lunch!):
bit.ly/DeerTurkeyEventJune26

NC Wildlife Resources Commission

NC State University Extension Forestry and Derrick Moore with the Down East Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) are hosting an upcoming webinar concentrating on burn plan prep review and mapping. 🔥

The webinar will review the important sections of writing a North Carolina burn plan and demonstrate how to utilize various applications to produce the required maps. This webinar aims to help landowners and PBA members overcome common planning challenges and build greater confidence in executing prescribed fires.

Register here: https://ncsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/f3Fd6kjTQYiZOnbNYtDbrQ #/registration

NC State University Extension Forestry has recently updated their "Using Fire to Improve Wildlife Habitat" factsheet! 🔥🦌

The publication describes the importance of fire for wildlife, specific burn prescriptions for different wildlife species of interest, and ecosystem-specific considerations for burning for wildlife.

Read the full factsheet by scanning the QR Code or clicking the link below: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/using-fire-to-improve-wildlife-habitat

The U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook has been released for May 21-August 31 from the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center.

Drought is predicted to continued to either persist or remain (with improvement) across the Southeast.

Check it out here:
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/sdo_summary.php

Webinar by the Southern Fire Exchange happening TODAY! 🔥

🚨UPCOMING WEBINAR🚨

On May 19th, 1:00-2:00 pm ET, SFE will host “The Integrated Research Management Team (IRMT): A Novel Framework for Integrating Wildland Fire Research & Management”. This webinar will feature James Furman, Fire Management Specialist at the U.S. Forest Service, and Dan Gualtieri, Wildland Fire Science Coordinator at The Ember Alliance.

In the face of increasingly complex issues in wildland fire management, co-productive science appears as a pathway to innovation. However, hosting research on active incidents and operations can present its own suite of challenges. The IRMT is a team framework modeled after the ICS that facilitates collaborative research campaigns and bridges the gap between science and practice. This webinar introduces the IRMT, its history, and its current structure.

Register for free using the link below, and learn how the future of wildland fire is being paved through co-production!

https://ufl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IKbx069-RYSd4c26A4NOEA #/registration

🔥🔥🔥

LANDFIRE has introduced the Fire Needs Assessment (FNA), a spatial analysis tool designed to help land managers determine where fire is needed to maintain ecosystem health.

The assessment compares current vegetation and fire regimes to historical reference conditions to identify areas of "fire deficit" or excessive fire. This data-driven approach allows practitioners to prioritize prescribed burns and fuel treatments more effectively across large, diverse landscapes.

Read more about the tool: https://landfire-tnc.github.io/LANDFIRE_FNA/