Prescribed fire has been used in the forests of the Intermountain West since 1910. It is employed for site preparation for planting or seeding, hazard reduction, livestock range and wildlife habitat improvement, cover type conversion, and insect or disease control. The major advantage of fire for all these objectives is its low cost relative to mechanical or chemical treatments. The use of fire is increasing rapidly as management of both private and public lands intensifies. In 1964, in Montana and northern Idaho alone, more than 25,000 acres of forest land were broadcast burned under controlled conditions. This was more than double the acreage burned in that area during 1959.