The burn at the Birch Ridge Community Forest (BRCF) is intended to take place during the spring of 2026, likely in April. The burn units (areas to be burned) will be prepared in the weeks prior to the burn. This involves using heavy equipment and hand tools to ensure that fire breaks (natural or constructed barriers used to limit the spread of fire and provide control lines from which to work) are generally clear of obstructions and burnable vegetation. In the case of the BRCF burn, fire breaks mainly consist of trails around the perimeter of the burn units. 

The burn is expected to be completed over the course of one day. Because specific weather and crew staffing parameters must be met for a successful burn, the exact date will be determined in the weeks and days leading up to the burn. After the burn is completed, the area will be monitored by SELT personnel in coordination with the New Durham Fire Department during the following day(s) as necessary. 

IMPORTANT: Nearby residents will receive a notice by mail about the burn. For anyone wishing to receive information leading up to the burn please sign up for email updates at seltnh.org/brcf-signup.

In the past, Birch Ridge was burned for blueberry production every 2-3 years, which last occurred around 1965. The historic frequency of burning was important for commercial blueberry production; SELT’s prescribed burn cycle will more likely be every 2-5 years, contingent on available funding and personnel. The blueberry barrens fostered by these historical burns provided both important habitat, benefiting birds and other wildlife that rely on blueberries for food and shelter, as well as the commercial sale of blueberries. 

The burn will take place at Birch Hill/Ridge between Corridor 22 and the Birch Ridge trail (location: 43.481546N, 71.140104W)

There are two adjacent burn units: Burn Unit 1 is 20.42 acres and Burn Unit 2 is 9.53 acres for a total of 29.95 aces. Burn Unit 1 is the priority, but both will be burned if feasible.

View this map for a zoomed out look.

View this map for zoomed-in look.

We are expecting to close parts of Corridor 22, Birch Ridge Trail, and Fall Line for the day of the burn. Corridor 22 will be closed from the Birch Ridge cabin to the landing on the east side where Camp Pride Trail comes in. Birch Ridge Trail and Fall Line will be closed from the South Ridge trail. We'll also close the parking lot on Birch Hill road for the day, as the burn crew will need the space for vehicles and staging.

Users can access the property from the Merrymeeting Road lot, the lake lot (for New Durham residents), and the Brienne Road cul de sac.

Fire breaks
One reason for choosing this particular area for a prescribed burn is the presence of existing features, namely roads and wide trails, that can serve as fire breaks. As fire is slowly introduced into the burn unit from the edges (fire breaks), the burned vegetation will increase the buffer between the unburned vegetation and any surrounding areas outside of the fire breaks. 

Weather patterns.
The primary weather considerations for the burn are atmospheric lift and dispersion. Essentially, these are measurements of how well air (and smoke) are able to rise into the atmosphere and disperse via wind. With the burn occurring at a relatively high elevation, sufficient lift will allow for the smoke to rise up and away from the burn units and nearby Merrymeeting Lake. Good dispersion rates will allow the smoke to leave the area before sundown, when the air cools and settles closer to the ground. 

Permits
Necessary burn permits have been identified in the burn plan and will be secured prior to the commencement of any burn. The burn plan also contains a list of personnel who will be notified of burn operations, which includes local and state fire officials. 

Prescribed burning has been cited as the preferred method for maintaining the approximately 33-acre blueberry area since the original 2020 management plan for the community forest (which you can read here), citing ecological and educational benefits. The management plan was approved and guided by the BRCF management committee, which includes representatives from many interest groups, including individuals with professional backgrounds in forestry, wildlife management, and firefighting.

In 2025, SELT contracted prescribed fire professionals to develop a burn plan for the two burn units. The burn plan contains extensive prescriptions for the burn, which include acceptable weather parameters, interagency coordination, burning methods and more. The group who developed the plan, Star Tree Wildfire Protection, will be conducting the burn.

Wildlife
Stewarding these burn units with prescribed fire will provide important wildlife benefits that complement those found on the surrounding landscape. These include soft mast and hard mast (e.g., berries and nuts for forage), shrub and grass cover important for nesting, breeding and movement, and the growth of unique plant species that occur only under specific environmental conditions. For example, whippoorwill, a species of special concern in NH, will benefit from this emerging landscape. 

Blueberries
Thoughtful prescribed burning is a practice that has long been used to promote the growth and production of wild blueberries and prevent other vegetation from taking over a site. 

Other habitat/forest composition
Prescribed fire, especially when utilized repeatedly every few years, will help to steer forest composition toward more fire-adapted species, like oak, and away from species like beech, birch and maple, which sprout prolifically and are already found in abundance across BRCF. SELT’s anticipated prescribed burn cycle will be every 2-5 years, contingent on available funding and personnel. 

Views
The burn will help maintain the view from the trail atop Birch Hill/Birch Ridge, which would otherwise be obstructed by regrowing vegetation. 

Star Tree Wildfire Protection will be conducting the burn. This group has conducted many prescribed burns up and down the east coast, including recent burns nearby in New Hampshire and the northeast. They will be working in conjunction with the New Durham Fire Department.

SELT staff will be involved in coordination, communications and, to a limited extent, burning operations. The NH Prescribed Fire Council (PFC) has visited the burn site at Birch Ridge and may offer assistance via various participating agencies as feasible. SELT has a staff representative on the NH PFC.

Those living in the vicinity of Birch Ridge Community Forest will see and possibly smell smoke on the day of the burn. While precautions will be taken to conduct burning operations such that smoke is lifted up and away from the area, temporary shifts in winds and continued smoldering after dark can cause unpredictable smoke behavior. Residents in the vicinity of the burn units are advised to keep their homes and vehicles closed on the day of the burn and overnight in case any lingering smoke settles with cooling temps.

The typical burning seasons in our area are late spring and fall. SELT anticipates burning these particular burn units at Birch Ridge roughly every 2-5 years, however this would be dependent on variables like weather and funding.

SELT has been discussing this project for several years and we have received interest and enthusiasm from several partner organizations. The burn plan was partially funded through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) program. The burn itself will be largely funded through the US Fish and Wildlife Service via the Partners for Fish & Wildlife program.

The Granite State Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society has followed SELT’s wildlife habitat management practices at Birch Ridge Community Forest with interest and has pledged to contribute funds to support this prescribed burn. The NH Prescribed Fire Council, with representatives from numerous agencies and organizations across the state, has provided support, guidance and expertise to SELT in advancing this project.

The BRCF management committee, through the BRCF management plan, has identified this project as a way to make progress toward community forest goals and objectives. Click here to learn more about the management committee.