Such fires are started by trained firefighters in areas that the local fire management plan has identified as appropriate. Prescribed fires are allowed to burn under specific atmospheric and fuel moisture conditions to prevent fires then from becoming wildfire. While the use of prescribed burns and a policy of letting naturally occurring fires burn wherever possible have become increasingly accepted, it is the subject of debate among loggers, ranchers, environmentalists, the public and government agencies. There is wide agreement that something must be done to reduce accumulating fuels and to encourage reinstatement of a natural fire regime, but there is no consensus on what should be done. In ecosystems of the West, timber and cattle interests favor selective logging and grazing as the prime means of reducing fuel buildup.
Some environmentalists object to sending people and machines into already disturbed ecosystems.
Public land managers hope that an increased rate of prescribed burning and let-burn natural fires will reduce the wildfires' risk to people and property. Many private citizens are concerned about the smokier skies and diminished vistas that will result from allowing more fires. Others are concerned that more burns may also cause an increase in respiratory problems, such as asthma, and exacerbate heart disease among people exposed to particles in the smoke. Despite the obstacles, prescribed burn and let-burn programs are making headway in some parts of the country. Government fire managers are hoping to use more fire than ever before.