Prescribed fire use and management of smoke on private land in northern Idaho

Background Prescribed fire is a valuable tool for reducing wildfire risk and supporting ecosystem health, yet its use on private lands remains limited. The purpose of this study was to explore practices, perceptions, and decision-making factors influencing prescribed burning and smoke management among family forest owners and forest contractors in northern Idaho using semi-structured interviews. Insights from the research can inform strategies intended to increase the use of prescribed fire and improve smoke management practices. Results Although both are forms of prescribed fire, participants treated pile and broadcast burning differently, with pile burning as the dominant practice. A self-reported lack of knowledge, the risk of damage to values, and limited resources constrained the use of prescribed fire, particularly broadcast burning. Forest contractors burned more material, more often, than family forest owners and were seen as careful and professional. Family forest owners reported more variability in their practices and also a reliance on forest contractors to complete larger projects and provide professional advice. Convenience and safety were prioritized over air quality; although smoke was considered, it did not strongly influence burning practices. Decisions about how to use prescribed fire were driven by trade-offs among perceived risks, benefits, and costs. Conclusions Increasing prescribed fire use on private land, using best practices, will likely require greater knowledge and access to resources to reduce risk and increase the practical benefits participants associate with burning. Certification programs, reduced liability, and the establishment of peer networks would likely support the use of prescribed fire on private land. Given that many participants described forest contractors as central actors in planning and conducting burns and they operate at much larger scales than family forest owners, contractor-focused interventions may have especially broad effects.