Fire frequencies are usually identified for plant communities with little regard to fine-scale (small geographical are) variation. Better knowledge is needed to manage fire in landscapes having fuels that vary in their prpensity to burn, escpecally where the details of fire patterns are critical for sustaining specialized species. We quantified variations in fire requency among patches of different vegetation within a 300-ha fire management unit dominated by pine flatwoods. We mapped each of the four fires that occurred between 1979 and 1998, and we mapped four vegetation patch types: oak scrub, mesic flatwoods, swale march, and forest. Siginificant differences in fire requency occurred among patch types for each of four fires. Generally, oak scrub and forests burned less requently than mesic flatwoods and marsh. Only 2% of the area did not burn during the study period; these unburned areas were located along human-created edges or within forests. The patterns produced by these fires were suitable for promoting the demographic success of a specialized species that is delcling almost everywhere elase. We conclude that understanding spatial variations in fire frequencies among patch types is important for sustaining habitat structure for specialized plants and animals. ©Natural Areas Association. Abstract reproduced by permission. Further information: e-mail: naa@natareas.org or see web site (see URL).