At ESF, Where There’s Smoke, There’s Prescribed Fire Being Taught Hands-on prescribed burns teach future foresters, rangers, and conservation officers how fire can be used to manage and restore ecosystems11/03/2026Students in Dr. Andrew Vander Yacht’s forest ecology and management class have spent the semester learning how fire interacts with native plant communities, how it can be used as a management tool to achieve specific objectives, and how fire cycles alter ecosystems.imageA person in blue protective coveralls and a red hard hat uses a drip torch to ignite a line of fire in a grassy field during a prescribed burn. Two additional crew members in protective gear stand nearby, with autumn-colored trees and rolling hills visible in the background under a clear blue sky.