Scorched Earth Policy

Last Wednesday afternoon, on very short notice, and with the window of opportunity rapidly closing it dried out sufficiently for us to conduct a prescribed burn.

You're probably scratching your head over the notion of someone deliberately setting something on fire beside a BBQ grill.

Drip Torch

Over several generations it has been an accepted practice to suppress Ma Nature's use of fire to maintain the natural order.  While suppressing fire will bring a smile the face of Smokey Bear it also has unintended consequences.  Without the impact of fire combustible fuel accumulates on the landscape making any fire event more dangerous.  Witness the devastating wildfires in California, Colorado and other states.  

 

So, at usually three year intervals, we have a professional burn crew set fire to the seven acres of grassland  wildlife habitat that constitutes our backyard.  This removes combustible material that is close to the house and has other benefits that I'll enumerate.  

Our local BUG Fire Department authorized the burn and both their leadership team and county dispatch is kept informed of the timing.

A controlled burn accomplishes a number of things.  Included among them are:

1. Fire removes excess fuel (built-up thatch) thereby reducing the risk of an out-of-control wildfire.
2. Fire returns valuable nutrients to the soil
3. Fire kills undesirable woody vegetation, invasive plant species and the blackened earth warms-up quickly in the spring sunshine stimulating the growth of desirable native plants
4. Following the application of fire the resulting flush of desirable plant regrowth is a benefit to wildlife – including insects, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds.

Photos and video clips.....

 

Burn crew

 

Back burning against the wind

 

 

 

Setting the head fire with the wind

 

 

 

Resulting blackened surface