DRIPTORCH DIGEST
A Newsletter for the Southern Prescribed Fire Community
No. 47
August 2020
COVID-19 Fire News
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the following information and resources related to COVID-19 may be useful to the Southern prescribed fire community. Most organizations and agencies now have websites devoted to COVID-19 information. If you are interested in how a specific organization is handling the pandemic, please consult their information.

Demonstrating using fire rake to measure social distancing
Johnny Stowe took a holiday from his SC DNR firelighting to help his friend Malloy McEachin burn his farm, and they found that a council rake makes a handy social distancing measure!
New Websites: Sandhills PBA, Florida Prescribed Fire

Two recently launched websites may be of interest to the Southern prescribed fire community:

  • Sandhills Prescribed Burn Association - The new website includes landowner resources, upcoming events, background on the importance of fire, a photo gallery of PBA activities, and more.
  • WhyPrescribedFire - Designed to educate Florida newcomers about the benefits and uses of prescribed fire, this new site is a project by Tall Timbers in partnership with The Florida Forest Service. The site includes resources on smoke and health, current prescribed fires, and common questions asked by community members.
North Georgia Prescribed Fire Council Meeting Recordings

The North Georgia Prescribed Fire Council meeting was held virtually on June 4. All seven presentations were recorded and are available on the Southern Fire Exchange YouTube page. Presenter slides can also be downloaded for the SFE YouTube page.
Smoke Management Tools Back Online

Two widely used smoke management tools that were temporarily unavailable can once again be accessed online.

  • The Simple Smoke Screening Tool previously hosted on the Southern Fire Exchange is now hosted by the Florida Forest Service.
  • V-Smoke Web is now accessible after going offline in early June. The tool is still located at the same website hosted by the Georgia Forestry Commission

Photo: Screenshot of the Simple Smoke Screening Tool
Source: Florida Forest Service
Hurricane Preparation and Recovery Guides

As we enter hurricane season, the USDA Southeast Climate Hub has published hurricane preparation and recovery guides. These guides provide state-specific resource links for the most economically important agricultural commodities in each state, including forestry. The forestry guides specifically mention prescribed fire as a way to improve the resiliency of forest stands.
New Research: Climate Change and Prescribed Fire, Hardwood-Cypress Swamps and Fire Hazards
Two articles recently covered emerging research:

21st Century Fire Statistics

The latest issue of Forest Research Notes from the Forest Research Group summarizes wildland fire data from 2004 to the present. The issue notes, in part, that the acres burned per fire have been increasing
Graph: Wildfire Acres Per Fire by Year
Photo: Acres per Fire Graph
Source: National Interagency Fire Center via Forest Research Notes
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Prescribed Fire Training Center

2021 Training Calendar
The Prescribed Fire Training Center has released the 2021 training calendar. 20-day training sessions will be held the following dates:

  • January 10, 2021 - January 29, 2021
  • February 14, 2021 - March 5, 2021
  • March 14, 2021 - April 2, 2021
  • April 11, 2021 to- April 30, 2021
  • June 6, 2021 - June 25, 2021

Agency administrator trainings will also be held October 29, 2020 - November 3, 2020 and February 4, 2021 - February 9, 2021. Applications for FY2021 sessions must be completed in the Wildland Fire
Learning Portal by October 16, 2020

Women in Fire Leadership Video
The PFTC released a new video highlighting the Fire Leadership for Women 20-day session modules. This video explains what the module objectives are and what participants can expect to take home after attending one of the Fire Leadership for Women modules.
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Southern Fire Exchange

Updated Website
The Southern Fire Exchange website has been redesigned to better serve the Southern fire community! While some resources have been discontinued, the new site contains most of the previously available resources and information, in addition to new content.

Upcoming Webinars and Recent Recordings
SFE has one webinar currently scheduled:

  • August 20, 1:00-2:00 PM ET Northern Bobwhites & Fire: A Perfect Match

All SFE webinars, including the following recently held webinars, are recorded. Recordings are available to watch anytime on the SFE YouTube channel.

Image: Recording Graphic for Prescribed Fire in Piedmont Hardwoods Webinar
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Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network

New Blog Posts:
The Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network publishes a variety of content related to fire adaptation. The following recent posts may be of interest to the prescribed fire community:

Tall Timbers Research Station Logo
Tall Timbers Research Station
Summer 2020 eJournal
The Tall Timbers Summer 2020 eJournal is now available. The following stories may be of interest to the fire community:

  • Secrets of the Stumps: Saving Fire History at Tall Timbers (Page 17)
  • The March Mules: Moving Bobwhite for Population Recovery (Page 22)



Photo: Burning stump
Source: Tall Timbers Summer 2020 eJournal
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Great Plains Fire Science Exchange

Newsletter Volume 6.7 Now Available
Volume 6.7 of The Lek, the Great Plains Fire Science Exchange newsletter, is now available. The newsletter includes information on ongoing research, upcoming events, grant opportunities, and more.
Prescribed Fire News Roundup
Dying to Burn (The Bitter Southerner)


Managing Fire (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)






Wildland Fire Pro Battle Fire Season Despite COVID-19 (Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)



Funding Opportunities
Close up of $100 bills
Florida Pine Beetle Assistant
The Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program is offered to eligible non-industrial private forest landowners by the Florida Forest Service through temporary grants from the USDA Forest Service. Eligible landowners should apply for the program by August 6.

Texas Prescribed Fire Funding
Texas A&M Forest Service is now accepting grant applications for the State Fire Assistance for Mitigation – Plains Prescribed Fire Grant. Properties in the panhandle, west and northwest Texas at high risk for loss during a Southern Plains Wildfire Outbreak are eligible. Eligible landowners should apply by August 15.

Disaster Resilience Research Grants
The National Science Foundation and U.S Department of Commerce (DOC) National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) call for proposals for research to advance fundamental understanding of disaster resilience in support of improved, science-based planning, policy, decisions, design, codes, and standards. An informational webinar will be held August 3. Letters of Intent are due by August 14 and full proposals are due by September 15.

Joint Fire Science Program Funding Announcements
The J oint Fire Science Program (JFSP) Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) are now open. Funding opportunities include Graduate Research Innovation (GRIN) awards and funding for research investigating the sources and distribution of human-caused ignitions and their relation to wildfire impacts and reducing damages and losses to valued resources from wildfire. Proposals are due by September 30 at 7:00 PM ET.

Association for Fire Ecology Funding Opportunities
The Association for Fire Ecology (AFE) has two ongoing funding opportunities:

  • Wayne Harrison Memorial Scholarship - Students may apply for up to $2,500, with funding available annually. Applications are due each year by March 31, with awards announced by May 31.
  • Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) TREE Grants - Designed to help graduate students travel to present at conferences and workshops related to fire science and management, applications are due 60 days before the conference or workshop.
Job Postings
All jobs are open as of the Driptorch Digest send date, however application reviews may have begun.

Assistant Professor of Forest Health and Fire Protection - Alabama A&M University is hiring for a nine-month academic appointment with additional three-month summer employment available and expected. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis.

Veterans Fire Corps - The Student Conservation Association is accepting applications from post-9/11-era US military veterans for its Fire Corps internships. Additional information and the application portal can be found on the  program website.

Fire Ecology Internships - The Fire Ecology Program at Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy in Tallahassee, FL seeks to provide field and laboratory experience for college students and recent graduates in the areas of plant ecology, ecosystem ecology, and fire ecology and science. Most internships last 12-16 weeks and are largely fieldwork based. Summer interns work from May-August and Fall interns work from October-December.   Get full details and application instructions here.

Online Job Boards 
Webinars, Video, and Other Media
Upcoming Webinars

Recent Archived Webinars


More recorded webinars on a variety of wildland fire-related topics can be found on the Southern Fire Exchange webinar page, the Oak Woodlands and Forests Fire Consortium webinar page, and the Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers and Scientists webinars and presentations page .
Podcasts & Radio

Podcast Series

  • Fire Ecology Podcast - From the Association for Fire Ecology, this podcast discusses various aspects of fire ecology, prescribed fire, and fire science.
  • Bobbie on Fire - Hear stories about fire and firefighting from a retired female firefighter.
  • World on Fire - Hear from people studying, fighting and living through these blazes in places like Australia, California and Canada.
  • Predictive Services Weather and Fuels - Available from the National Predictive Services program in Boise, these podcasts will be available through October 1.
  • Eyes on Earth - Covers remote sensing, with an episode on wildfire risk to communities.
  • Good Fire Podcast - Covers the indigenous use of "good fire" is used around the globe.
  • Learn, Baby, Burn - Created by the Michigan Prescribed Fire Council, this podcast will cover a variety of prescribed fire topics.
  • The Fire Learning Trail - Introduces listeners to the role of fire in the Southern Appalachians, wildland firefighting, and local history
  • On The Line - Covers topics of interest to wildland firefighters, including mental health, the pack test, and health considerations.
  • Forest Voices - Covers forest stewardship and management topics, including prescribed fire.

Past single podcasts and other resources can be found here.
Upcoming Events
Please note that this section is current to the best of our knowledge as of the sending of this newsletter. If you are interested in attending an event listed as still scheduled, contact organizers to ensure they still plan to host it.


Prescribed Fire Council Meetings







Prescribed Burner Certification Courses




  • Kentucky - Courses are offered periodically. No courses currently scheduled.

  • Louisiana - Courses are offered through LSU Cooperative Extension Service. No courses are currently scheduled.
Conferences, Workshops, Festivals and Other Events




  • September 15-16 - SERPPAS Principals Meeting, Virtual









  • May 2021 - Southern Blue Ridge FLN Meeting, Dillard, GA

  • June 7-10, 2021 - Southern Group of State Foresters Annual Meeting, Oklahoma City, OK








  • Ongoing - Fire in the Field, This intermediate firefighter training program (equivalent to NWCG S-131, S-133, and S-231 courses, as well as the G-131 course) is designed to prepare the Firefighter 2 (FFT2) to move to the Firefighter 1 (FFT1) position. 
Partner Newsletters
Find more fire-related information from our friends & partners!

Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers & Scientists Newsletter ( current edition )
Department of Defense Natural Selections Newsletter  ( current edition )
Fire Learning Network  Networker  ( current edition )
Forest Stewards Guild After Wildfire: News & Networking ( current edition  and  subscription link )
Gulf Coastal Plains & Ozarks LCC Newsletter ( current edition )
Joint Fire Science Program  Fire Science Digest  ( current and archived editions )
LANDFIRE Bulletin & Post Card  ( current edition and subscription form   )
Partners for Conservation News ( current news and subscription form )
REPI Program Newsletter ( current edition and subscription form )
SERPPAS Circular ( current edition )
South Atlantic LCC Newsletter ( current edition )
Southeast Region Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy  ( current edition   )
Southern Fire Exchange  Firelines  Newsletter  ( current edition and subscription link )
Tall Timbers  eNews  and  eJournal
Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center Two More Chains  ( current edition )
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Contact us to share your prescribed fire information, stories, or events!

Jennifer Fawcett
NC State Extension Forestry
Extension Associate
SERPPAS Prescribed Fire Working Group Coordinator
919-515-8288

Laurel Kays
NC State Extension Forestry
Extension Assistant
919-513-2573

Additional content and resources can also be found by visiting our website and by following us on:

Facebook at Southeast Rx Fire and
Twitter @SE_RxFire