Wildfire suppression is a primary function of federal wildland firefighting agencies. In order to preserve life and property, as well as maintain our natural landscapes, suppressing wildfires becomes necessary.

Every year fire managers set prescribed fire to millions of acres of land across the country in an effort to restore natural landscapes, reduce large accumulations of hazardous fuels, reduce the risk to life and property from wildfire and prepare fields for farming.

Tule Lake and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuges are some of the most prominent birding areas in the west. Farmers grow a combination of wheat, grains, alfalfa, sugar beets, onions, potatoes and other vegetables throughout the growing seasons. After the final harvest of the season, fields sit fallow until next seasons growing period. During this time, fields offer vital nesting habitat and feeding grounds for migrating waterfowl. When the new growing season arrives, farmers request field burns, which are conducted by refuge firefighters.