The Arkansas Department of Agriculture and the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment have launched a mobile service that offers row crop producers and forest landowners a convenient way to check conditions and report prescribed burns.
Using the Arkansas FireSMART application, producers can select the area they plan to burn on a map and receive real-time weather data, letting them know if current conditions align with the state’s Voluntary Smoke Management Guidelines.
Prescribed fire is used in the fall as part of crop management plans to remove stubble after the harvest of rice, soybeans, corn, and cotton. It's an efficient and economical control method for preparing fields for the next growing season and eliminating pests and diseases.
For forest landowners, prescribed burning provides benefits including vegetation control, ecosystem restoration, and wildlife habitat improvement. It also makes landscapes more resistant to wildfires by removing flammable debris and vegetation.
"Prescribed fire is a critically important tool in a farmer’s toolbox and this newly-developed app is an additional resource to assist farmers in planning and using fire as we work to prepare for next season, Arkansas Rice Federation chair, said in a news release. "Our community looks forward to working with other agricultural organizations to share and encourage the use of the FireSMART app."
