For landowners in fire-prone regions, understanding how to protect your property isn’t just smart, it’s essential. With many parts of the U.S. experiencing longer fire seasons and hotter, faster fires, proactive fire management can mean the difference between safety and loss.

Wildfire expert Terry Severson shared his decades of experience in a recent episode of the National Land Podcast, explaining what every rural landowner should know about fire prevention, land management, and living responsibly in landscapes prone to wildfires.

Location Influences Wildfire Risk

Wildfire experts refer to the transitory zone where unoccupied land and human development meet as the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), which is one of the most common areas to experience wildfires. This is because human structures are in close proximity to undeveloped wildlands, which are rich in vegetation and other flammable materials that can be used to start a wildfire.

Landowners with property in the WUI need to be especially cognizant of their increased risk for wildfires and make a plan for fire prevention as well as evacuation in case a fire breaks out.

Fuel Buildup Causes Catastrophic Fires

Possibly the biggest driver of wildfire intensity is decades of fuel buildup from fire suppression. Severson warned, “There are places out west that have 30 or 40 year rough… that means there’s 40 or 50 years of fuel accumulation. If you go in there and try to burn… the fire is going to be too hot.” 

For rural landowners, that means thinning vegetation, clearing debris, and supporting regular prescribed burns are critical to preventing devastating fires.

Creating a More Fire-Resistant Environment

Creating defensible space, a cleared buffer zone around homes and structures, is one of the most effective wildfire prevention strategies. Yet some communities still resist. Severson recalled Paradise, California: “After the whole town basically burned down… they asked for an ordinance to keep 10 feet of clear defensible space. And the whole town voted it down.” Landowners who maintain defensible space give firefighters a real chance to save their property.

Similarly, promoting more fire-resistant vegetation on and around your property can slow the spread of wildfires and prevent them from reaching homes or other structures. Replacing flammable invasive species with fire-resistant landscaping using native plants reduces risk while supporting healthier ecosystems.

Prescribed Burns Actually Reduce Fire Risk

While it may seem counterintuitive on the surface, regular prescribed burning is actually one of the best ways for a landowner to prevent rampant wildfire destruction. This is because a controlled burn eliminates fuel from an area that a wildfire would use to spread. 

While no fire is completely predictable, prescribed burning under controlled conditions is far safer than waiting for lightning or human sparks to ignite dangerous fuel loads. Rural landowners should support and, when possible, participate in prescribed fire programs.

At the core of Severson’s advice is a cultural shift in how we view fire. “We need to live with fire and not treat it as this beast that we have to tame, because we won’t ever tame it,” he said. For rural landowners, this means preparing land through defensible space, fuel management, and fire-resistant landscaping, while supporting community-wide prescribed fire efforts.

If you’ve got questions about fire management on your property, get in touch with your local Land Professional today!