Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers and Scientists

12/11/2025

🌱🔥 For those of you who missed our previous Fueling Collaboration Panel Discussion on November 20th: Flashy Fuels and Resilient Lands – Fueling Distinct Prescriptions for Eastern Grasslands, you can find a list of resources on the Fueling Collaboration website at the bottom of the webpage: https://www.fuelingcollab.com/episode-6-1

✅ Our second panel discussion of season 6 was held today and you can find the recording on the Fueling Collaboration website.

🗓️ Please join us for our 3rd discussion on January 15th: Storms and Strategy: Understanding the Impacts of Hurricanes on Wildfire and Prescribed Fire in the Southeast. You can register here: https://www.fuelingcollab.com/episode-6-3

North Atlantic Fire Science Exchange
Southern Fire Exchange
Oak Woodlands and Forests Fire Consortium
Lake States Fire Science Consortium
Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savannah Fire Science Consortium

12/09/2025

We had the absolute pleasure of attending the Association for Fire Ecology's 11th International Fire Ecology and Management Congress in New Orleans! We heard inspiring stories, laughed with old friends and new, had meaningful and insightful conversations with experts in the field of fire, participated in leading workshops and giving presentations, and gave out more CAFMS materials than we anticipated! 🔥

Thank you to everyone for came to this amazing event and to the Association for Fire Ecology for hosting!

12/02/2025

📣 Don't forget to register for the next Fueling Collaboration Panel Discussion on December 11th!
ℹ "Do You Hear What I Hear?" - A Sensory Portrait of Wildland Fire featuring Kara Yedinak (Moderator), Bree Putman (Panelist), Mate Szoke (Panelist), Omar Marcillo (Panelist), and Zachary Prusak (Panelist).
🔥 To register visit the Fueling Collaboration website: https://www.fuelingcollab.com/episode-6-2

12/01/2025

📣New research on Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi on oak seedlings. "Instead, there is increased species richness and diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi in burned areas compared to controls and much of that diversity is in the families Russulaceae, Thelephoraceae, and Hydnangiaceae."

ℹ️ Full article can be found on our website:https://www.appalachianfire.org/_files/ugd/696505_3bfdea6e40864b0eae3bf1895360ef0b.pdf

📃 Hughes, K.W., Franklin, J.A., Schweitzer, J. et al. Post-fire Quercus mycorrhizal associations are dominated by Russulaceae, Thelephoraceae, and Laccaria in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Mycol Progress 24, 16 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-025-02037-8

11/19/2025

🎉Tomorrow kicks off Fueling Collaboration Season 6: Flashy Fuels and Resilient Lands – Fueling Distinct Prescriptions for Eastern Grasslands

🗓️ 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EST: https://www.fuelingcollab.com/episode-6-1

📢 Speakers are:
- Elizabeth Bach ecosystem restoration scientist at Nachusa Grasslands for The Nature Conservancy in Illinois
- Caren Caljouw fire manager and a restoration ecologist with the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
- Ron Waukauhas had a long career at Menominee Tribal Enterprises, starting in 1988
- Theo Witsell co-founder and Chief Conservation Officer for the Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI)
- Moderator is Paul Charland coordinator for the Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Fire Science Consortium

Fueling Collaboration is presented by:
Oak Woodlands and Forests Fire Consortium
Southern Fire Exchange
North Atlantic Fire Science Exchange
Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Fire Science Consortium
Lake States Fire Science Consortium
Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers and Scientists

11/18/2025

For the last two weeks CAFMS has assisted with the Southern Blue Ridge TREX. 🔥 554 acres were successfully burned in North and South Carolina by participants from across the country and internationally. We are honored to a part of an amazing training opportunity, as well as part of a fire family.

Fire Learning Network
The South Carolina Forestry Commission
The Nature Conservancy in North Carolina
The Nature Conservancy South Carolina
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
NC Wildlife Resources Commission
South Carolina State Parks
U.S. Forest Service - National Forests in North Carolina

11/03/2025

📣 We are pleased to share our latest newsletter:https://www.appalachianfire.org/_files/ugd/696505_3505c9d0a1e64c84bca9501b8ceee9bf.pdf

ℹ️ If you haven't already signed up to receive our newsletters, please visit our website and become a member today: https://www.appalachianfire.org/membership-sign-up

Become a member of the Consortium! Membership is free. Our members receive our quarterly newsletter with access to special workshops, events, job notices, and more. Becoming a member is a great way to connect with other fire professionals throughout the region. Include your information below to join...

10/29/2025

🔥📣 New Research: Proceedings of the 21st Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference - Temporal effects of hurricanes and prescribed fire on fuel loading and pine reproduction in the Southeastern United States

ℹ Full article can be found on our website:https://www.appalachianfire.org/_files/ugd/696505_cbf1155ce91a433d806bd0c33ad0b717.pdf

📃 Pile-Knapp, Lauren S.; Guan, Shanyue; Song, Bo; Wang, Geoff G. 2022. Temporal effects of hurricanes and prescribed fire on fuel loading and pine reproduction in the Southeastern United States. In: Willis, John L.; Self, Andrew B.; Siegert, Courtney M., eds. Proceedings of the 21st Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-268. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 21–31.

10/23/2025

📣🎉 Thrilled to announce Season 6 of the Fueling Collaboration Panel Discussion Series!!

🗓 November 20, 2025: Prescribed Fire and Wetlands: An Important but Rarely Told Story
🗓 December 11, 2025: "Do You Hear What I Hear?" A Sensory Portrait of Wildland Fire
🗓 January 15, 2026: Storms and Strategy: Understanding the Impacts of Hurricanes on Wildland and Prescribed Fire in the Southeast
🗓 February 19, 2026: Reframing the Ecology of Fire in Eastern United States 'Old Growth' Forest Ecosystems

For more information and to register visit: https://www.fuelingcollab.com/

Oak Woodlands and Forests Fire Consortium
North Atlantic Fire Science Exchange
Southern Fire Exchange
Lake States Fire Science Consortium
Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Fire Science Consortium

10/17/2025

📣🔥Job Postings!! 🔥📣

- Prescribed Fire Crew Technician (Mountain Region): North Carolina State Parks and Recreation. See flyer attached for more information.

- The Nature Conservancy Virginia and The Nature Conservancy South Carolina is hiring five new 10-year term-limited positions!
1️⃣ Allegheny Highlands Recovery Program Manager: https://careers.tnc.org/us/en/job/JR100950/Allegheny-Highlands-Recovery-Program-Manager

2️⃣ Allegheny Highlands Forest Recovery Director: https://careers.tnc.org/us/en/job/JR100949/Allegheny-Highlands-Forest-Recovery-Director

3️⃣ Allegheny Highlands Freshwater Recovery Director: https://careers.tnc.org/us/en/job/JR100948/Allegheny-Highlands-Freshwater-Recovery-Director

4️⃣ NC Mountains Forestry Recovery Director: https://nature.wd108.myworkdayjobs.com/ExternalCareers/job/Asheville-North-Carolina/NC-Mountains-Forest-Recovery-Director_JR100941-1

5️⃣ NC Mountains Freshwater Recovery Director: https://nature.wd108.myworkdayjobs.com/ExternalCareers/job/Asheville-North-Carolina/NC-Mountains-Freshwater-Recovery-Director_JR100943-1

10/10/2025

📣New Research📣

📃 I. Bouvier, P. Caldwell, P. Houser. Spatio-temporal vegetation and catchment dynamics following wildfires in the Southern Appalachian Ecoregion. Forest Ecology and Management. Volume 595, 2025.
ℹ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122996
✅ Full PDF article can be found on our website:https://www.appalachianfire.org/_files/ugd/696505_1adf5890b4e6466aa48b65bb674436ba.pdf

10/09/2025

Upcoming webinar hosted by Oak Woodlands and Forests Fire Consortium on October 21st!

🔥The second webinar of our 2025 webinar series will be on Tuesday, October 21!
🔗For more information and to register: https://oakfirescience.com/events/webinar-topic-seasonality-of-fire-effects-on-deer-turkey-and-oak-regeneration/
Dr. Turner's presentation will include findings from a recent study highlighted in this research brief:https://oakfirescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/RB-51.pdf (...includes a link to the original article).