Prescribed burn maintains ecosystem, mission flexibility
Keith Hawk, an Air Force Civil Engineer Center prescribed fire specialist, radio communicates his position during a prescribed burn Jan. 25 at White Point Recreation Area on the Eglin reservation in Florida. Prescribed fires maintain the base's ecosystem in its pristine state, reduce dangerous buildup of understory and enable maximum flexibility to conduct test and training missions without causing catastrophic wildfires.The Fire Management division here applies prescribed fire to an average of 90,000 acres annually. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ilka Cole)