Anyone with feedback on controlled burns

[JeremyL]

We burn our native warm-season grasses pastures once a year in the late winter. It is a blast. It is quick and effective.
It is important to know what you are doing, have the proper equipment and enough people to use the equipment. Oh, and the right weather, vis. wind, humidity, smoke dispersal, etc. the key word here is "controlled."
We always feed and re-hydrate the participants so it is like a party. Nothing like good clean smoke to stimulate the appetite.

 

[Longhorngary]

Thanks for the replies, I think I'll take a pass for tge moment.

 

[Jim Shooz]

I had a hillside covered in massive clumps Pampas grass and while all the conditions were 'right' and there were no un-toward consequences I some times think back and recognise that "while I had the match in my hand I had control.............."

 

[Pilot]

Working with the USFS the fuel management people & I prescribed many, many burns, usually totaling about 2,000 acres a year. Once in awhile they would get away, but it was always on federal land. The fuels guys were so good that they could burn around hemlocks and silver firs without killing more than a few of them--and they tend to die if they smell smoke. Escape fires usually happened when the weather changed. I only participated in a few of the actual burns. Burning was the best fuel treatment--better by far for the soil than piling.

In the pics it looks like they were often burning into the wind, which is good.

Grass seed growers in the Willamette Valley in western Oregon used to burn regularly to destroy weed seeds after harvest. It was quick & effective. Living in town, we'd see the smoke and being pyros ourselves jump in the car to see what was burning. We rarely got there before the fire was out, even if it was less than 5 miles away. Grass fires spread fast but go out quick.

About 15-20 years ago the smoke from a grass burn laid down right onto Interstate 5 and led to a huge pileup and I think there were some fatalities. That was just about the end to grass field burning.

 

[Bob77064]

We burn our native warm-season grasses pastures once a year in the late winter. It is a blast. It is quick and effective.
It is important to know what you are doing, have the proper equipment and enough people to use the equipment. Oh, and the right weather, vis. wind, humidity, smoke dispersal, etc. the key word here is "controlled."
We always feed and re-hydrate the participants so it is like a party. Nothing like good clean smoke to stimulate the appetite.

Great pictures.

 

[tallyho8]

I have 160 acres in the Ozark mountains completely surrounded by USFS property. A few years ago they were doing a controlled burn on their property and it got away from them and burned about 1 acre of my property.

They were nice enough to mail me a letter to let me know about the damage and see if I wanted any compensation for a few trees that I lost.
The funny part about it is that the letter was postmarked with a postmark that read: "Smokey the bear says, help prevent forest fires".

 

[mostly_gas]

USFS did some 'controlled' burns in our area. Only difference I can see between a controlled burn and arson is who lights the match.

And arsonist are not as careful when they use the match

 

[rustyshakelford]

Since your in Texas contact the Texas forestry service

Brett

 

[Redbug]

For LonghornGary...All the Weather Service Offices put out fire weather forecasts for their areas at least twice a day. Everyone can look up these forecasts themselves for their area using their local NWS Office web site. Go into the Fire Weather section.
I do some of the Fire Weather Forecasts for my area, I work for the NWS.

Looking up the area for Gary, you can see all the information on line that the foresters and landowners use to make decisions on burning. Here's what Gary can look at:
firewx.htm - National Weather Service Forecast Office - WFO, Austin/San Antonio, Texas Forecast Page
National Weather Service Text Product Display