Maine Prescribed Fire Story

North Atlantic Fire Science Exchange

NAFSE will be hosting webinars to share prescribed fire stories from our region in the hopes that the relevant knowledge exchanged in these stories can potentially benefit the fire and forestry community. Interested in sharing your prescribed fire story? Please contact Eric Evenson, NAFSE Science Communications Specialist, at NAFSEhelp@gmail.com

Burning to Learn: Outcomes from a Prescribed Fire in a Maine Mixedwood Forest

Date: Monday, December 14, 2026

Time: 8am PT/11am ET

Interest in prescribed fire for various land management objectives is growing across the northeastern United States, offering a unique opportunity to study its effects on soil and litter. Our research group at the University of Maine evaluated immediate aboveground and belowground responses to an experimental prescribed burn conducted by the Maine Forest Service in May 2026 within a red oak/ mixedwood forest type. Ongoing forest floor measurements and a decomposition experiment will clarify how prescribed fire affects nutrient cycling and long-term forest productivity. Alongside the ecological study, a Learn & Burn event brought together agency staff, land managers, and community members for prescribed fire education, while students gained practical fire management training.

Speakers: Cameron Chin and Mar Wiltz