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Prescribed Fire
Discussion Center GeneralRx Fire Bits of Wisdom
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(Job Category)
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Comment
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jims
(Fire Management)
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Posted 4/25/2006
1. Be able to describe the fire behavior you will create to meet your objectives and leave environmental parameters open enough to allow you to introduce some change to create what you want. If you cannot use lay terms and vividly describe the fire you want, you don't know where you are heading.
2. Latitude in your plan allows the professional (you) to do the job as you are expected.If a spring burn, can it also be done in the summer or fall. If yes, cover it in the plan. If you write the plan for aerial ignition, can you also do it using hand ignition? If yes, cover it in the plan. Open your possibilities so that change does not allow the bureaucracy to stop you.
3. Technically every objective you list has to be measured pre and post burn. As mentioned previously, keep your objectives simple and realistic. If reducing the 1000 HTLF loading by 65% really doesnot contribute to the driving goal of the burn (rejuvinate browse species shrubs - listed) then do not add it to the grocery list of this to do.
4. Don't use fillers. That's reams of computer generated paper and numbers that don't relate to prescribed fire. If something went wrong, and you had to defend your prescription, how would you defend it using programs that cannot relate to reality?
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RivaDuncan
(Fire Management)
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Posted 3/21/2006
My 3 bits of wisdom:
1. Experience with burning-out on wildfires doesn't equal rx fire experience. I've enountered way too many people who think because they've done a lot of burning-out for suppression that this automatically makes them good at rx fire. The objectives are usually very different. There is no substitute for learning about firing patterns and fire behavior to achieve resource objectives on rx fires.
2. Be flexible. This may be in conflict with what bfay says above, but don't get so "married" to your plan that you can't adjust/adapt if needed. It's just as important to maintain your situational awareness on rx fires and take steps to adapt.
3. Listen to the "little voice" inside your head. If you feel uneasy, if you're receiving warning signals, don't ignore them! Stop, think, act.
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gphillips
(Fire Management)
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Posted 3/1/2006
Two simple lessons, neither of which I can take credit for are have a good plan ,and follow your plan. It seems the things that so often gets us if an investigation ensues are having a poorly prepared plan or doing something outside of the plan.
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cliffwillis
(Operations)
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Posted 12/15/2005
One of the most helpful things that we have learned over the years of burning in the south is to learn your people. For example if you have someone who is a rogue, that may not be the person you want to be in charge of holding a critical piece of line. On the other hand if your firing boss cannot make quick decisions that could be just as detrimental to meeting your parameters. Also for one who is just getting started in Rx fire, talk to the people who lead the way in this field. Don't just ask the people that you work with, check with people from other areas of the country and see what lessons they have learned. It can be very helpful to see what others are doing and mistakes they have made so you can possibly learn from them.
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pgordon
(Operations)
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Posted 8/4/2004
Here's a few tips that I've come to learn:
1)Be realistic with your contingency plan. If your contingency plan calls for several resources and relies heavily on aircraft, re-visit your prescription, or project size, or project control features.
2)Regarding project size above, smaller size Rx fire may not be the more cost effective or secure solution. Think big...landscape scale...take your burn treatment out further to better and more defendable barriers or control features. Also, larger scale burns often accomplish greater objectives at less cost. I can give you an example of a cooperative project that involved a single burn of 48,000 acres at a little over $2.00 per acre.
3)As the previous response suggests, pay attention to the wording in your plan. Don't "write yourself into a corner". Be realistic, truthful, and if you find yourself uncertain and wanting use words like should, ought, may...re-visit the project layout and your objectives.
4)Be realistic with your objectives. Are they meaningful and do they achieve a desired condition. Are your objectives to complex and difficult to measure or verify. There's nothing wrong with an Rx burn with just a couple of simple objectives. Don't try to "kill too many birds with one stone". Consider multiple entries if your fuel types/locations will allow.
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bfay
(Fire Management)
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Posted 6/8/2004
If you are taking the time to write a burn plan do it so it is meaningful. Say what you will do, not what you ”may” do.
When you finish a burn plan, do a word search for the words - may, should, could, might (and a few others) … these words should rarely be in a burn plan.
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TruNorth
(Other)
Originator
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Posted 6/1/2004
There are many ways to "get the job done." If you had 2 bits of wisdom that you'd like to pass on about prescribed fire, what would they be? For example, are there special ways you've learned over the years about how to manage risk and why some ways are better than all of the rest? About how to teach others new to prescribed fire in the most indelible way, where they really see and understand? About how to find out what you need to know in the shortest amount of time and be able to verify that the new knowledge is solid?
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