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Re: Prairie burn safety



Glenn Larson wrote:

> Jason "Sunshine" Sheperis wrote:
> > of prairie burns.  I want to see if the public's fear is warrented
> > regarding this potentially incendiary topic (pun intended).
>
> Dear Sunshine,
>
> About 1994 or 1995, during a controlled burn in the Flint Hills of
> Kansas, smoke drifted across the Kansas Turnpike.  An auto accident was
> blamed on the smoke.  I recall that the issue wound up in the Kansas
> legislature.  I can't supply more details than that, but maybe this will
> lead you to a story.
> --

A better source would be the Oregon Grass Growers. They burned most every
yearuntil smoke drifted across the Interstate in the Willamette valley and a
pile-up occurred.
Burning ban followed. Oklahoma is very specific about posting signs about
*NOT*
driving into smoke, and despite this, there are accidents.

Any discussion about burning being inevitable due to the build of fuels is a
moot
point. Periodic dry cyles and a burn bans will lead to conflagrations which
can
burn up even hardwood forests and cause great loss of livestock and property

and costs millions to local governments to fight. The recent Bridgeport,
Texas fire which
burned across the LBJ grasslands is an excellent example of this.

I also find it hard to believe that burning in the Flint Hills of Kansas is
"controlled".
It is a pretty casual affair. Start the fire from a pickup and let it burn.
This is one
area where the State Ag colleges could earn their pay by establishing
training
programs, designing low-cost equipment, and setting up certifications. Road
signs
and road guards might be appropriate. Of course, this takes cooperation
among
land owners and ranchers, who prefer to be lords of their own mountains
rather
than work together for long-term benefit.

The public is usually very receptive to the burning *if* it is announced
before hand
and the reasons for it are explained. Out of 24 neighbors, none had any
problems
when we burned recently. Face-to-face communications are important.
Others who burn near us even get a lot of support from their local fire
department,
and adjacent owners come and ask them to burn.

-Austin Moseley


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