Huge fires that plagued the Western United States for the past few years have caused millions of dollars in damages and immeasurable pain to many families.

But the solution to these blazes may lie in purposely starting fires.

To study the idea, Bryan Black, (graduate-forest resources) conducted an experiment last spring in which he burned specific parts of Penn State's Stone Valley Experimental Forest.

A controlled burn is "a fire that is intentionally set for specific management purposes," said Marc Abrams, professor of forest ecology and physiology and Black's adviser.

For the experiment, Black designated four spots that would be burned. Lots adjacent to them remained as they were.

Each spot was about a half acre and was surrounded by a firebreak three to four feet in area. A firebreak is an area that is devoid of all organic material.

Though the fires were not expected to grow out of control, fire trucks from local fire companies were on hand.

Preparation for the experiment began a year ago. Black waited for near-perfect atmospheric conditions for maximum effectiveness and safety.

"There's a very narrow window in time when you can burn," Black said. "It couldn't be too wet or too dry."

Black attended training courses in firefighting, as well as working with various university and state officials.

In the Central Pennsylvania area, oak trees dominate the landscape. "These forests have evolved with periodic fires," Abrams said.

Native Americans are believed to have contributed to that cause. "It is widely believed that they set intentional fires," Black said. During the past century, however, fire prevention and fire fighting limited the intermittent blazes.

"As a result of fire suppression, these forests have been invaded by other species," Abrams said.

In this area, these other species include mainly the red maple trees.

When fires occur, the red maple, which is sensitive to heat, dies, and the oak trees continue to grow, feeding off the nutrients of the burned soil. Because of the increase of fire suppression, the maples have been able to grow and compete with the oak trees for dominance in terms of light and nutrients.

The fires that have plagued the West may be due to the increase of fire suppression. "If you burn periodically, you'll be reducing the amount of fuel. (Without burning) the forest gets more flammable," Abrams said. "It's really catastrophic."

The Eastern United States has not seen forest fires of the magnitude of the West. The types of trees that reside in the East are broadleafs, such as maple trees. In the West, there are more evergreen trees. These trees are much more flammable than the broadleafs.

The precipitation of the East also is much greater and makes the forests less susceptible to large fires.

Even the types of blazes are different. "Fires in the West are crown fires," Black said.

Crown fires engulf the tops of the trees. In the East they are surface fires, which burn usually between three to six feet.

Black credits people, such as fire inspector for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Dan LeCrone, Todd Bowersox, professor of silviculture and Joseph Harding, the manager for the Experimental Forest, for the success of the controlled burn.

The concept of controlled burns seems to be picking up supporters. "We received quite a bit of enthusiasm from state managers," Black said.