Fire Needs Assessments: A landscape management tool

Tool information and access.

The frequency and severity of wildfires are changing around the country. To understand their impact on the landscape, federal agencies and states are conducting fire needs assessments. Fire needs assessments help fire stakeholders understand where, what type of, and how much fire needs to occur to reduce the destructive effects of wildfire and restore or maintain ecosystem health and resiliency.

Fire is a natural and necessary process in many ecosystems, but its role can vary widely depending on landscape conditions, ecological goals, and management history. In some places, fire is missing where it’s needed. In others, it’s occurring too frequently or with damaging severity. Understanding where and how fire should be applied—or avoided—is essential for effective landscape management.

A Fire Needs Assessment (FNA) helps land managers and ecologists evaluate the ecological role of fire across their landscapes. It provides a spatial framework for identifying where fire can support ecological health, and where it may be causing harm.