Cool Burning: An Ancient Practice for a Healthier Landscape

At Wolfscape, we’re always looking for land management strategies that work with nature, not against it. One such practice — both ancient and incredibly effective — is cool burning.

This isn't your typical fire management approach. It's an old method — one that predates fences, chainsaws, and bulldozers — and it's making a quiet return to the modern landholder’s toolbox.

What is Cool Burning?

Cool burning is the low-intensity application of fire during the cooler months, usually in early morning or late afternoon, and ideally during periods of higher humidity and light wind.

Rather than roaring flames that race up canopies, cool burns creep gently along the ground, consuming leaf litter, grass, and dry debris while leaving trees, roots, and soil structure intact.

It’s slow. It’s deliberate. And it’s often done in small patchwork patterns, leaving refuge areas untouched so that wildlife can move and return.

Why is it Important?

Long before European colonisation, First Nations people used cool fire to manage ecosystems, promote food species, prevent destructive wildfires, and care for Country. These fires were low, clean, and frequent.

Today, we recognise how this approach supports:

• Weed suppression (especially species that hate frequent low fires, like Lantana)

• Native grass recovery

• Soil protection and fertility

• Fuel load reduction  (without ecological damage)

• Habitat rejuvenation

Cool burning is not just a fire management tool. It's a landscape therapy, encouraging ecosystems to reset gently.

Wolfscape’s View on Cool Burning

We believe cool burning has a critical role to play in land management — but it must be done wisely, respectfully, and informed by ecology.

It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Done in the wrong place, at the wrong time, it can do more harm than good. But when applied thoughtfully, it becomes a powerful ally in restoring balance to overgrown, weed-invaded, or ecologically stalled landscapes.

Cool burning has deep cultural roots. We acknowledge the knowledge of Indigenous fire practitioners who have been caring for Country through fire for thousands of years. We help landholders to engage with local Traditional Owners and fire ecology experts before undertaking burns.