Fire Break Maintenance Pointers in Tideline Magazine

Page 41 in Tideline Magazine !

I was glad to contribute some fire break maintenance pointers in my feature article in the January / February issue of Tideline Magazine. The Post Season Tips for Hunt Club Chores also includes the subjects of deer herd management, deer stand relocation, road repair and trapping of predators. Pick up a free copy of Tideline to read the entire article.

While I was not present for the photo shoot, I am so glad to see
Scott Hammond, Connie Villacres and Kara Slick made it!!

Plowing firebreaks and the use of prescribed fire will keep woodlands not only healthy, but in a state that provides ease of use in future months. Ideally firebreaks should be plowed in fall ahead of any wet weather. Leaves, pine straw, limbs and other debris that filters in after that will require a second pass before any prescribed fire is set, but that final inspection will provide valuable knowledge about trouble spots where vegetation has grown thick. With the benefit of time land managers will learn through experience where woodlands fire likes to spread, but until then its best to keep a few things in mind. If young pine trees are at risk of damage next to a controlled burn area, simply double the width of the firebreak on that boundary. If trees or other cover won’t allow for the extra width right along the fire line, then get creative and disc a serpentine break as near as possible. One firebreak is all you need in the textbook sense, but this second line allows for those monitoring the fire to have just a few more minutes to catch up to and stop any wayward fire. If a redundant fire line hasn’t saved your bacon once already, then you haven’t set out enough prescribed fire.

To view past blog entries about prescribed fire click here.