These areas were very susceptible to wildland fires. Socioeconomic activities have also led to increased fire activity. Lands once abandoned now were economically viable for production of short rotation pines necessary for paper production. A key to success to reforestation of these lands was keeping fire out of cutover areas until regeneration could take hold. Suppression of all wildfires was important in order to reduce the amount of destruction to existing timber and the success of the next generation of young trees.
Pines are most susceptible to fire when in a young plantation.
As pasture and natural openings gave way to woods the understory roughage not only competed for available nutrients but provided wildfire with a fuel source and fire ladder into the crowns of surrounding mature pine forest. Timber production came into direct conflict with the southern cattle producers using the rangelands for grazing, and herding which were dependent upon open ranges. These studies compiled county and AFC Fire Districts statistics of occurrence with the hope that new policies for fire prevention and suppression could be formulated. Arson was the overwhelming cause of fires, and is on average twice as frequent as all other types of fires. Topography, climate, weather, and fuels play significant roles in determining the seasons, occurrence, and the severity of wildfires.