ABSTRACT
All wildfires on national forest lands are treated the same, whether within or outside wilderness. Suppression techniques are modified, however, by wilderness constraints. The Forest Service recognizes only two types of fire: wildfire and prescribed fire. All wildfires, whether within or outside wilderness, require an immediate suppression response. Preplanned initial action responses are based on minimizing the sum of wildfire suppression costs plus resource net value change consistent with probable fire behavior and firefighter safety. Wildfire suppression actions in wilderness are designed to minimize human impacts upon the wilderness character of the land. Prescribed fires are used on National Forest System lands as a safe, carefully controlled, economical and ecologically sound way of partially or totally consuming specific portions of a fuel profile to achieve specific objectives. Fire is about the only tool available to perpetuate a desired ecological process and also maintain the high-quality wilderness and resource values we enjoy.
