24/02/2024
With the prescribed burning season in full swing there’s a few things to be mindful of to protect yourselves and the property you’re maintaining.
Always start with a burn plan, most states require a burn permit, these allows firefighters to know how many acres you’re planning on burning and the any hazards at play in case the fire gets out of hand and they have to come in and help.
Be mindful of wind, direction and speed play major factors in having a safe burn. It’s best to burn with a consistent wind that’s between 4 and 15 mph. Anything less and the burn line will die out and anything more and the fire can quickly get out of control, jump burn breaks and even highways.
Relative humidity also plays a commonly overlooked role in the burn process that can change everything. If the RH is too low, then the fuels will be too dry, and there’s a high risk of a blowup, which is when fuels uncontrollably ignite far faster and more powerful than is controllable it also drastically increases the likelihood of spot fires, which is when an ember gets carried from a fire by a draft and can be carried even miles away from the fire to land, and begin burning a new wildfire. If the RH is too high, the fuels will not catch properly, and the fire will not spread enough for the burn to be considered successful in decreasing field load.
Tools of the trade include but aren’t limited to drip torches, flair guns, chainsaws, axes, shovels and rakes
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