Early North American settlers observed this and continued the practice of using fire as a beneficial agent. Destructive wildfire was also abated by burning under safer conditions with the necessary tools for control. An increasing wildfire problem led foresters to advocate the exclusion of all fire from the woods. This, in part, was due to the wood boom after WWII and the planting of millions of acres of susceptible trees that were vulnerable to fire in the first few years of establishment. Few alternative treatments can compete with fire from the standpoint of effectiveness and cost .
Chemicals are expensive and have associated environmental risks.
Mechanical treatments have the same problems. Prescribed fire is much more affordable with much less risk to the habitat and destruction of site and soil quality. Prescribed fire is a complex tool. Only a certified fire prescriptionist should be allowed to burn. Proper diagnosis and detailed planning is mandatory before every burn.