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Southeast Prescribed Fire Update

Driptorch Digest

Current Issue: July 2026

The image shows a newsletter titled "DRIPTORCH DIGEST" (No. 117, July 2026), subtitled "NEWS FOR THE SOUTHERN PRESCRIBED FIRE COMMUNITY." Logos for NC State Extension and SERPPAS (Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability) are featured at the top. The main article is titled "U.S. Wildland Fire Service Announces New Measures for Firefighter Health and Smoke Exposure." It features a photo of a wildland firefighter in protective gear standing in a grassy field with low flames and heavy smoke ahead. The accompanying text explains that the U.S. Wildland Fire Service has announced interim measures authorizing federal firefighters to use N95 respirators during active operations for the first time. On the right side, a sidebar titled "Tippin' Torch: Tips for the Season" features a small graphic of a driptorch. The text warns about significant drought conditions in parts of the Southeast and above-normal wildland fire potential in Eastern Texas and Louisiana for July and August, urging caution with Fourth of July fireworks.

About

Starting in January 2016, The SERPPAS Prescribed Fire Work Group began publishing the Driptorch Digest newsletter. The Driptorch Digest covers news stories, partner projects, new resources, upcoming events, and other content relevant to the Southeastern prescribed fire community.

Although the content is tailored to those participating in the Work Group, much of it may be of interest to others working in land management and collaborative restoration, particularly those utilizing prescribed fire within fire-adapted systems in the Southeast U.S. Many of the efforts showcased in the newsletter also help to achieve goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.

Subscribe to the Driptorch Digest
  • Email us (wildlandfire@ncsu.edu) if you have a resource, news story, event, or other item you would like featured in the next issue.

NOTE: All Driptorch Digest content prior to the April 2026 issue is part of the Southeast Prescribed Fire Update Web Archive. It is kept only for reference, research, or record-keeping and is no longer maintained. It may not meet current accessibility standards. To request content in an accessible format, contact us via email.

Past Driptorch Digest Issues

2025

2024

Archives

Have questions or want to look at a previous issue of the Driptorch Digest? Please contact: wildlandfire@ncsu.edu