Lighting Fires to Prevent Fires

May is National Wildfire Awareness Month! At the Accokeek Foundation, we wanted to highlight a lesser-known method of wildfire prevention – prescribed burns, or the intentional lighting of fires as a way to care for the land.  

Our stewardship team, comprised of Stewardship Director Risharda Harley and Stewardship Volunteer Coordinator Y Proctor, are members of the Indigenous Peoples Burning Network (IPBN), an intertribal network for Indigenous fire practitioners. Join us for a conversation with Risharda and Y to learn more about prescribed burns and the role they play in ecological and cultural preservation in Southern Maryland. 

What is the difference between a wildfire and a prescribed burn?  

Y: Wildfires are natural and man-made occurrences that happen in a place where there is a lot of flammable foliage, typically in places that are mostly forested or have long stretches of dry grassy plains.  

Prescribed burns are born out of the cultural burns that Indigenous people all over the world have done since time immemorial. These are burns that are lower intensity, meaning they don’t burn as hot and out of control as wildfires, and the main goal is to only burn certain “fuels” (such as fallen leaves, felled trees, pine needles, etc.) before wildfires can get to it. The purpose is to keep wildfires from being at the intense rate we have seen over the last century, which creates dangerous and deadly environments for humans and animal relatives. 

Can you walk us through the process of a prescribed burn?  

Risharda: The process of a prescribed burn starts with lots of careful planning and site preparation because the safety of personnel, the public, and property is the highest priority. If that objective cannot be met, then a burn cannot happen. However, if all planning, site preparation, and weather conditions have been completed and are ideal, then a burn will happen. 

A burn will start with a test fire to ensure that weather conditions are still favorable. If all is as expected, then a group of designated igniters will begin setting fire according to the plan. A group of designated “holders” have the job of ensuring that the fire remains contained in the designated burn area.  

Once the burn is complete, we go back and ensure everything is out. It is the same as you would do to put out a campfire, just on a larger scale.

A crew member works on a prescribed burn in Nanjemoy, Maryland in March 2025. Photo credit: Southern Maryland News/somdnews.com.

In the following weeks, there are multiple follow-ups to document what changes have occurred in the environment after the burn. These can include a reduction in undesirable plant species, an increase in bird biodiversity, and a decrease in the risk of catastrophic-level wildfires.

How does the concept of prescribed burns intersect with ancestral cultural practices for some Indigenous communities?  

Y: Prescribed burns were created to imitate cultural burns, which are done by Indigenous people only and include ceremony before or even during the burn. A prescribed burn can be done by Native or non-Native people and removes this intentionality – it uses fire to care for the land without including the cultural aspect.

Risharda: Cultural burning is a direct contrast to the current way of viewing, handling, and relating to wildfires in America. A majority of the American public views fire as a destructive enemy that must be fought, controlled and killed. Even with prescribed burns, much of the process exudes dominance over fire and over nature. 

In contrast, what if fire were seen as a good friend? Medicine to heal? More than just a tool? Cultural burning avoids dominance over nature. Fire is medicine that is applied to the land to heal it, and its application is based on a deep understanding of the land and community... on an understanding of ecosystems, plant and animal cycles, and seasonal indicators. It is non-domineering, balance-oriented, and done with humility.  

Cultural burning challenges the dominant Western view of fire as an enemy, offering instead a perspective rooted in respect, listening, and healing. Rather than fire fighting using militaristic tactics to suppress and control it, the Indigenous approach of fire lighting welcomes fire as medicine – applied with care and intention to restore balance to the land and community.

What is the current wildfire outlook in Southern Maryland? 

Y: Wildfires are on the rise in the entire Chesapeake region, including the state of Maryland. Although wildfires have always happened here, we’re seeing them more frequently. The state is working to build its capacity to prevent wildfires by slowly training more people to do prescribed burns and doing more prescribed burns.  

The Accokeek Foundation has a team of two individuals that are working to not only help the state meet its goal, but also to assist the Piscataway community in revitalizing their fire culture.

Tribal Chairwoman of the Cedarville Band Of Piscataway Indians, Natalie Standingontherock Proctor, observes a prescribed burn on her ancestral homeland in Nanjemoy. Right to Left: Risharda Harley, Natalie Proctor, Y Proctor.

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To learn more about prescribed burns, check out these articles highlighting the Accokeek Foundation's involvement in stewardship across the nation with partners such as IPBN and The Nature Conservancy:  

• Igniting Change Over 10 Years of the Indigenous Peoples Burning Network 

• Reintroducing Fire to the Land  

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Interested in getting involved in land stewardship? Join us for Community Invasive Education Day at Piscataway Park on Sunday, June 1st from 10am – 1pm. Volunteers will experience a workshop focused on invasive plant species identification, removal techniques, and the benefit of native plants.  

This event is a collaboration between the Accokeek Foundation, the Alice Ferguson Foundation, and the National Park Service. To learn more and register, visit this link.