Native American Use of Fire
When European settlers arrived in New England, the forest that they found was different from today’s forest. This was partially due to Native Americans' use of fire to make the forest more habitable. The burns increased grassland, which attracted game animals; increased berry production; made travel easier; reduced pests; aided in defense; facilitated the collection of firewood and acorns, among other benefits.
Burning likely promoted the growth of nut-producing trees such as oak and chestnut, which were an important part of the Native American diet. Frequent low- and moderate-intensity fires killed smaller trees and larger thin-barked fire-sensitive trees, leaving the oaks and chestnuts more room to expand their crowns and produce more nuts. Oak and chestnut sprouts would shoot up in gaps in the forest canopy to grow thick fire-resistant bark before the next burn.
Forests adjacent to Native American villages were likely open woodlands with a grassy understory. Oak savannas are an example of this type of woodland, and were reported in historical records in Connecticut, specifically along the first 15 miles of the Quinnipiac River starting in New Haven.
This mortar was likely used to grind acorns. It is approximately 20” wide, 20” deep, and was carved into bedrock in Union, Connecticut.
Along the coast and major rivers, intense burning reportedly gave way to grassland. In the 1660’s, Connecticut Governor John Winthrop said, “Pine knots were all that remained from generations of fallen trees in fields burned clear by the Indians”. Lyme was one of 24 towns in Connecticut that were settled by Europeans prior to 1650 in these clearings. The original settled section of Lyme is now in Old Lyme.
There are many places in Connecticut whose native names mean “cleared land”: Poquannoc (Windsor), Pequonnock (Bridgeport), Pequonnock plains (Groton), Poconock (Milford Point), Packquahaks (plains in Milford), Pahquioke or Paquaiaug (Danbury plains), and Poquiogh (Waterford). Mattatuck, the native name for Waterbury, meant “a place without trees”.
Fires and/or tree girdling with stone axes was used to clear land for planting. After years of use, the planted areas were often abandoned as the soil became less productive and because nearby sources of firewood would be exhausted. The “old land” or “abandoned land” was known as “Tawawag” to the Pequots. Much of the land cleared by Native Americans was abandoned as their population was decimated by European diseases and war.
Though the extent to which Native Americans used fire in New England has been debated, however there was apparently enough grasslands, savanna, and open woodland to support large grassland grazers. Bison arrived in Massachusetts in the 17th century. Elk bones have been found in Rhode Island. The last elk reported shot in Massachusetts was in 1732.
Further from Native American population centers, there were fewer fires, and the forests were similar to the dense, closed-canopy forests prevalent today.
DEEP staff conduct a prescribed burn in Harkness State Park, a location that was called the last remnant of eastern prairie in Connecticut.
Fire, white oak, and red maple
White oaks benefit from fire. A study of the pre-settlement forest found that approximately half of the trees in eastern Connecticut were white oaks. They are among the most rot-resistant of native oaks, and their flaky bark absorbs significantly higher amount of rain than other oaks. Their moist bark provides added protection from fire.
European settlers used fire to clear the forest for farmland. By the 1820’s, less the than 30% of Connecticut's land was forested. In the first quarter of the 1900’s, over 30,000 acres burned annually (for comparison, the town of Lyme is about 22,000 acres). Now, less than 500 acres burn in Connecticut most years and the fires are usually less severe. The lack of adequate fire has left a forest that is too shady for oak seedlings to survive. Connecticut's oaks have reduced in number as a result. This problem is compounded by excessive deer browse of oaks and proliferation of non-native invasive plants. As a result, there are few viable young oaks to take the place of the older oaks that are dying. This is a major concern, as oaks are very important to wildlife for their acorns. They also host a large mnumber of caterpillars and moths, which make them extremely valuable for birds.
Red maples are most affected by fire, as they are thinned-bark and rot-prone. As the modern use of fire has decreased, red maple has replaced red oak as Connecticut’s most abundant tree.
Hope for oaks
Nehantic State Forest in East Lyme, after a prescribed burn and harvest.
Using prescribed fire in conjunction with a harvest is a commonly utilized method to promote a new generation of oak. The DEEP Forestry Division conducts prescribed burns throughout the state, including in Nehantic State Forest, which has been burned regularly since 1993 to preserve its oak savanna habitat. Follow-up harvests and cutting of small trees provides much-needed sunlight for young oaks.
Prescribed burning is done on a limited basis in Connecticut, as widespread burning is not practical in a densely populated state. Sustainable harvests, however, are more feasible and can promote pollinators, wildlife species that require young forest, and can sequester carbon while providing a renewable source of energy and building materials. Picnic tables and other wood products that DEEP uses in its State Parks is harvested from Connecticut's State Forests and sawn at the DEEP Sawmill in Portland.
Content last updated June 2026.