The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Get Fired Up

Take the quiz to test your knowledge about fire and how the Conservancy uses it as a tool to help people and wildlife!

1. How often did fires burn in North America before Europeans arrived?

   Rarely—there was little fire anywhere on the continent over any 10-year period

   Rarely—there was little fire anywhere on the continent over any 10-year period | Incorrect

   Occasionally—about a third of the country had some fire over a 10-year period

   Occasionally—about a third of the country had some fire over a 10-year period | Incorrect

   Often—about a third of the country experienced fire routinely over a 10-year period

   Often—about a third of the country experienced fire routinely over a 10-year period | Correct

   You're right! Fires were caused by lightning strikes, lava flows, and after Native Americans settled the Americas they often set fires as a way to create more open forests for hunting and agriculture.

   | Incorrect

2. True or False: Most American plants and even animals have adaptations that allow them to survive fires.

   True

   True | Correct

   This is true! Many species and ecosystems in the U.S. actually require fires to survive. For example, the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker of the American South nests in longleaf pine forests, which are maintained with frequent fire. When a controlled burn or wildfire happens, most animals avoid the flames by either running or flying away, or burrowing into the ground. Bark thickness is one of the most important factors determining fire resistance of trees. Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, longleaf pine, slash pine, burr oak and the giant sequoia are all examples of trees with fire insulating bark.

   False

   False | Incorrect

   | Incorrect

   | Incorrect

3. Which continent experiences the most fire in any given year?

   Africa

   Africa | Correct

   The correct answer is Africa. Today 70 percent of the world’s fires occur in Africa. Since 1999, NASA’s MODIS satellite instruments have detected more than 40 million fires burning around the world. In the U.S. current wildland fire information is tracked on InciWeb.

   Australia

   Australia | Incorrect

   North America

   North America | Incorrect

   | Incorrect

4. Do America’s lands need more fire, or less?

   More

   More | Correct

   Trick question! America’s forests and rangelands need a lot more “good” fire and a lot less “bad” fire. Good fires are those don’t threaten the outdoors, people, or property. Bad fires are those that harm the outdoors and pose a danger to people. Many of the bad forest “mega-fires” we are experiencing today are the result of a “perfect storm”— a build-up of brush due to historic suppression of all fires (even natural ones), pest infestations, and a longer fire season due to climate change. Experts believe more than 100 million acres of America’s forests are in immediate need of restoration through controlled burns or thinning.

   Less

   Less | Correct

   Trick question! America’s forests and rangelands need a lot more “good” fire and a lot less “bad” fire. Good fires are those don’t threaten the outdoors, people, or property. Bad fires are those that harm the outdoors and pose a danger to people. Many of the bad forest “mega-fires” we are experiencing today are the result of a “perfect storm”— a build-up of brush due to historic suppression of all fires (even natural ones), pest infestations, and a longer fire season due to climate change. Experts believe more than 100 million acres of America’s forests are in immediate need of restoration through controlled burns or thinning.

   | Incorrect

   | Incorrect

5. True or false: Fire can help water supplies.

   True

   True | Correct

   True! It seems counter-intuitive, but forests need fire to be healthy, and healthy forests are better able to store and filter water. For example, Forest Service lands provide water to one-third of the American people, valued at $4.3 billion a year.

   False

   False | Incorrect

   | Incorrect

   | Incorrect

6. What is a “controlled burn”?

   A fire intentionally set by someone.

   A fire intentionally set by someone. | Incorrect

   A planned fire intentionally set by a certified fire professional with permission from land owners, to achieve improved safety and land health goals.

   A planned fire intentionally set by a certified fire professional with permission from land owners, to achieve improved safety and land health goals. | Correct

   While Salma Hayek might offer a good initial spark, this is the correct answer. A controlled burn is managed by trained professionals (see next question). By the way, a fire set without an owner’s permission is called arson.

   A simmering glance from Salma Hayek.

   A simmering glance from Salma Hayek. | Incorrect

   The second to last segment of a spinning class.

   The second to last segment of a spinning class. | Incorrect

7. “Burn Bosses” direct prescribed fire operations and oversee training of staff and volunteers at the local level. On average, how long does it take to become a qualified Burn Boss?

   2 years

   2 years | Incorrect

   7 years

   7 years | Incorrect

   13 years

   13 years | Correct

   It takes an average of 12.8 years for federal agency fire professionals to complete the training and gain the experience needed to become a Type 2 Prescribed Fire Burn Boss. The Conservancy employs about 80 of these highly skilled individuals. Additional information about the roles performed by Conservancy Burn Bosses can be found in our Fire Management Manual.

   | Incorrect

8. Who sets controlled burns?

   National Park Service

   National Park Service | Incorrect

   Bureau of Land Management

   Bureau of Land Management | Incorrect

   U.S. Forest Service

   U.S. Forest Service | Incorrect

   All of the above

   All of the above | Correct

   Five federal agencies and most state natural resource agencies perform controlled burns to improve wildlife habitat, reduce invasive species, and increase safety for people. Many ranchers and other private landowners also use fire as a management tool. In any given year there are 2-3 million acres of controlled burns in the U.S.

9. The Nature Conservancy has been conducting controlled burns for about 40 years, starting on the Minnesota prairies. In an average year, how many acres do Conservancy fire experts burn on their own lands?

   500,000 acres

   500,000 acres | Incorrect

   120,000 acres

   120,000 acres | Correct

   The correct answer is 120,000 acres, an area about eight times the size of Manhattan. This is approximately the same acreage burned by the National Park Service each year.

   25,000 acres

   25,000 acres | Incorrect

   | Incorrect

10. A “fire regime” is the term for naturally occurring fires in a landscape over an extended period of time. Every ecosystem has its own unique fire regime. Fire experts classify fire regimes using a combination of factors— including which of the following?

    Intensity

    Intensity | Incorrect

    Season of occurrence

    Season of occurrence | Incorrect

    Frequency of occurrence

    Frequency of occurrence | Incorrect

    All of the above

    All of the above | Correct

    The correct answer is All of the above. Other factors considered include fire severity, size, and spatial pattern. The LANDFIRE program manages detailed information on fire regimes and many other characteristics of thousands (??) of ecosystems across the country.