This September, landowners, fire practitioners, and local officials from across Central Texas will gather in College Station for a hands‑on experience that brings science, stewardship, and safety together on the landscape. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host a Texas Prescribed Fire Field Day on Sept. 16, offering participants a rare opportunity to learn the art and discipline of prescribed burning directly in the field.
Held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Texas A&M Ecology and Natural Resources Teaching Area on Observatory Road, the event is free to attend, with registration available at tx.ag/PrescribedFire. For those working professionally with fire, the day also provides six continuing fire training credits from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection.
A Day Built Around Applied Learning
Prescribed fire is one of the most effective land‑management tools in Texas—reducing fuel loads, improving wildlife habitat, and restoring ecological balance. But it requires knowledge, planning, and respect for the land. This field day is designed to deliver exactly that.
Participants will work alongside experienced fire practitioners in an operational setting. Weather permitting, the day will include an active prescribed burn, giving attendees firsthand exposure to real‑time decision‑making, fire behavior, and crew coordination.
“The field day will provide practical instruction paired with an active prescribed burn, weather permitting,” said David Brooke, AgriLife Extension’s statewide prescribed fire coordinator. “Participants will gain direct exposure to real-time decision-making, fire behavior and crew coordination.”
What Attendees Will Learn
Instruction will blend classroom guidance with field demonstrations, covering the full spectrum of prescribed fire planning and execution:
- Fire ecology principles unique to Texas landscapes
- Texas prescribed burn laws and liability considerations
- How to build an effective burn plan
- Assessing weather, fuels, and fire behavior in the field
- Equipment use and crew organization
- Ignition techniques and holding strategies
- Safety protocols and risk management
- Post-burn evaluation and land‑management next steps
It’s a curriculum designed not just to teach fire—but to teach responsibility.
A Program Built Through Partnership
Funding for the field day comes from a coalition of conservation and land‑management partners, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the Renewable Resource Extension Act National Focus Funds program. Their support underscores the importance of prescribed fire as a tool for healthy, resilient Texas landscapes.
Preparing Texas Landowners for the Future
As drought cycles intensify and wildfire risks grow, prescribed fire is becoming an increasingly vital part of land stewardship. The Texas Prescribed Fire Field Day offers landowners and practitioners the chance to build confidence, learn best practices, and join a statewide network committed to safe, effective fire use.
For many, Sept. 16 won’t just be a training day—it will be the beginning of a new chapter in how they care for their land.
