FIRE!!!

[redlevel]

We conducted a controlled burn on a 40 acre pine plantation today. Thirty years ago I would have just thrown a match out and watched it go. As I get older, though, I get more cautious, so I called in some reinforcements.

They brought their heavy equipment just in case.

Before

Setting a head fire

Head fire in background and backfire in foreground

After

Burning is very good for pines of that age, especially if there is a lot of trash from windstorms on the ground. Supposed to help control Southern Pine Beetle. It is also a very good management practice for small game such as rabbits and quail. Deer and turkey also benefit from the young tender growth that will start showing up very soon after the next rain.

Mark

 

[john_bud]

And if they would do that to forests "out west" they wouldn't have so many deadly fires. Cuts down on fuel plus all the things you mentioned. Oh and the ashes are a natural counter to the naturally occuring acid rain.

Thanks for the pics!

 

[Thomas]

One could do a lot w/dozer setup like that.

How large of man crew one needs for burn as such?

I can't recall the last time in NH where land owner did large control burn...small control burns by the fire departments still do.

 

[westbrooklawn]

Redlevel -

Enjoyed the pics... reminds me of the 2 years I lived in Perry, Ga., back in the late 70's. Are you anywhere near there?

 

[redlevel]

Thomas, there was one man and one woman in the crew from the GFC. I had to leave before the burn really got going good. We spent the first hour or so setting backfires, and they were slow to burn because the humidity was relatively high when we started. I had to go back to the school where I teach before they started most of the headfire.

wbl, we were practically neighbors. That fire was about 25 miles NW of Perry as the crow flies.

It won't be many more years before we have to stop burning in GA. The Forestry Commission conducted a controlled burn on a State Forest South of Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. The wind changed and smoked downtown Hotlanta pretty good. A few days after that they conducted a burn on the Ft. Benning reservation near Columbus, GA and they wound up having to close down one or two schools. It won't take many like that for the public outcry to cause the legislature to outlaw burning statewide.