ABOUT SBR TREX

The Southern Blue Ridge Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (SBR TREX) began in 2018. The objective of this two-week TREX program is to facilitate peer-to-peer, experiential learning for prescribed fire professionals and others interested in advancing their understanding of innovative tools to restore fire-adapted ecosystems. Participants learn, practice, and share knowledge, skills, and experience in a unique, hands-on training environment focused on the ecological, social, communications, monitoring, and operational dimensions of planning and implementing ecologically-based prescribed fire. 

 

The SBR TREX in 2018 hosted 50+ participants who all advanced their wildland fire training. Crews conducted three burns, and established 5 ½ miles of handline firebreak prep, setting the stage for 10 future controlled burns this coming season. The TREX teams worked on 7 of the 10 different partner lands across North and South Carolina. Since the training was held in the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment, a high rainfall area, the weather provided some unique logistics challenges. The planning team’s leadership in adaptive management made certain every opportunity was utilized to maximize the crews’ training in between and during rainy days under safe conditions. It was a great example of the importance for good planning and execution under shifting conditions, which are all factors to a successful burn program. 

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For insight into what our participants experienced by attending this training, please watch the video below.

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SBR TREX 2023

The 2nd SBR TREX is scheduled to take place October 30 - November 10, 2023. The SBR TREX Planning Team is in the process of contacting participants who applied for SBR TREX 2021, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all looking forward to building another incredible training opportunity and will post updates to this site often.