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Re: burns: fire lanes

Bravo Tom -- I heartily second your comment.  At our project in Iowa County Iowa, we try to vary the position of our internal firebreaks from burn to burn.  In 2 years experience (436 cumulative acres burned, ~10 burn units from 2 to 185 acres in size, both spring and fall burns), we have found that very effective temporary firebreaks can be prepared (even in excellent prairie graminoid fuels) by first mowing with our brush mower and then raking to the outside of the unit with a hay rake.  Because of the presently narrow and tortuous nature of our breaks, we purchased a 3-point
attached, 4 wheel rake.  It appears to remove at least 80% of the chopped fuels from our breaks.  When combined with spring green-up, these breaks seem almost nonflammable.  If one wants to, the breaks can be re-mowed after raking to reduce the height of any fuels that have been stood up by the hay rake.  Re-raking seems like over kill.

For fall or early spring burns (prior to significant green-up), we have found wet-lining to be very effective (we have a 200 gallon pumper for our tractor and a 50 gallon pumper for our ATV).  Of course none of this precludes the need to be vigilant for spots across our lines.

Unfortunately, our perimeter breaks are fixed at the fences with our neighbors and often contain some of our better remnants.  It is sometimes possible to get permission to burn through the fence (being careful not to burn off any wood posts), but, this does not preclude the need to cut a wide opening through the fenceline timbers and thickets.  I believe that we not only need to open this lane up to get prairie regeneration, but also, to allow an area of fine fuels which can be black-lined during our burns.

The width of our break can unfortunately not be minimal but rather its width must accommodate the anticipated burn crew size and experience (which in our case are normally the minimal things).  I believe that the smaller the crew, and the less experienced, the wider and better the fire break must be.  In our case, the mowing and hay raking seems to work for quality, but, any width less than 20 feet seems inadequate.

Sandy Rhodes

Thomas Rosburg wrote:

> You probably won't like my comments -- I would recommend NOT establishing permanent fire lines.  I think they are going to invite introduction and establishment of non-natives over the long run because those areas will continually be disturbed -- just like trails or paths but on a larger scale.  I would certainly never consider it in a high quality natural area.
>
> Buning should never be "automatic".  Each time a prescribed burn is done it should be because of explicit reasons and expectations of the effect.  To me, this means fire lanes should be transient -- you establish them according to the specific goals of the burn.  And you establish them with a miminum of disturbance.   Often with careful planning and the right wind conditions, only a minimal burn line is needed.  Burning segments that change shape, size and location every time a burn is implemented adds to the diversity of your management, which is critical on our  remnants.
>
> Thomas Rosburg
> Dept. of Biology
> Drake University
> 2507 University Ave.
> Des Moines, Iowa  50311-4505
>
> 515-271-2920
> thomas.rosburg@drake.edu
>

--snip--

>
> >Robert Wernerehl wrote:
> >> >> THis is a useful topic and I hope others chime >in. I have wondered about
> >> this myself. One plant that might work as a >benign non-native might be
> >> white dutch clover, Trifolium repens. I haven't >seen it get invasive. It is
> >> common in lawns up here in Wisconsin and greens >up very early.
> >> Bob Wernerehl
> >> Iowa County, Wisconsin
> >> >> At 10:02 PM 05/03/2000 CDT, you wrote:
> >> >Does anyone have suggestions for native plants >to use in the establishment
> >> >of permanent fire breaks?  Grasses such as the >wild ryes seem to be too
> >> >transient to do the trick.  I'm looking for >something that would be green in
> >> >winter (Missouri), and could be planted in lanes >to separate different areas
> >> >for easy rotational burning.  The NRCS suggested >fescue, which is out of the
> >> >question.  Other recommendations have included >benign non-natives.  Any
> >> >experiences or thoughts?
> >> >
> >> >,,Scott Lenharth

--snip--

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