Present-Day Wildfires
Today, wildfires are a relatively common occurrence in the southern Appalachians. The majority of wildfires on federal lands (88%) are human-caused, due to either carelessness or arson (SAMAB 1996e). A small proportion of wildfires (12%) are started by lightning, although most of these are small and restricted to ridge tops.
Table: Wildfire incidence in the southern Appalachians: 1988-1993 (SAMAB 1996e)
| Ownership | Number of fires | Total acreage burned |
| State and private land | 29,834 | 212,342 |
| Federal land | 2,240 | 241,844 |
| Total | 32,074 | 454,186 |
Table: Causes of wildfires in the southern Appalachians: 1988-1993 (SAMAB 1996e)
| Ownership | Lightning | Arson | Other |
| State and private land | 3% | 34% | 63% |
| Federal land | 12% | 48% | 40% |
US Forest Service policy on wildfires is to "suppress all wildfires in a timely, energetic, and thorough manner" (USDA Forest Service 1989, p. 49). This policy is implemented, in part, through fuels management: reducing fuel loads through prescribed fire, salvage harvest, and piling and burning of debris (Thompson et al. 1988). Due to effective suppression efforts, very few wildfires exceed 100 acres in the southern Appalachians (Buckner and Turril 1999).
Encyclopedia ID: p1470
