They used to burn Thunder Marsh wildlife area every year up here. They quit a few years ago. Apparently the roots of the brush were never harmed because in a bog they are saturated. Duh. I could never figure out why, in a waterfowl production area, they would always wait until the ducks were nesting to burn.

I believe all federal agencies have suspended RX burning this year along with many states due toC-19. Concerns are smoke and putting fire fighters in close proximity to each other.

Grousewit

With our equipment 3 or 4 guys will be plenty for this burn. Some operations could do it with one man.

Left lane.l
I told my boss that a this section wasn't even worth me getting out of bed but he like company so I'll go help. It's got roads on 3 sides so it won't even be fun for the kids to pretend to be fire fighters

When I was out West 40 year or so ago. I was attending a NAFA meet (can't remember the State) and was asking if we could hunt on a farmer land. There were two old guy's we tale to. They said when they were younger there use to be Prairie Chicken by the millions. But when the BLM program they started the number declined every year. The said every time with was a fire the State or someone would come and put it out. I do not know IF this is still there practice.

Can’t even burn my brush pile here with snow on the ground or after a rain. Local burn guy did a burn torched his old barn they are worried about the fire trucks getting stuck going to a fire now with the roads being soft.

Here road ditches and fence rows used to get burned every year, was a good way to reduce grasshopper eggs, but now with the CRP and wetland acres it isn’t feasible. I dont know how the FSA figures out when to burn the set aside programs but we burn them when they tell us, lately the probelm has been its wet and the fire department has trouble driving across the field to contain the fire from the next set aside piece.

Around here the ranchers can put out twice the fire with half the water and a fourth of the equipment than the fire department. There's some grass east of us the federal government is in charge of burning, if you want to see a circus and a serious waste of tax payer money one should go watch them burn.

AJE - You are right about certain groups burning less acres. Gov’t agencies have been handicapped by an intolerance of fire and the fear of losing their job. Acceptance of the benefits of fire has increased substantially over the last 30 years but the ability to actually light a match has decreased.



I cringe every time I see a Forest Service fire rig. More equipment than needed and over staffed has somehow resulted in fewer acres burned.

Yes Sir, I misspoke earlier we have an association not a department make a difference to some, here our local volunteer association does a good job with it, they like to do it for practice when something starts on the interstate and gets into the grass or set aside. The association does get paid to do it to cover their expenses and a little extra to help cover any odds and ends.

A friend asked me to help him with a controlled burn this spring. I wonder if that exposes me to potential liability

Anything you do in life exposes you to potential liability. If u ain't the one lighting the fire or calling the shots your probably reasonably safe.

Potentially, yes but the benefits to the land when done CORRECTLY are incredible.

.... they burn parts of the government woods every year about this time....youpan just gets taller and thicker from it far as I can tell

Each state has its own rules and procedures about control burning. Now, if you follow all the rules and the fire gets out and damages someone else’s property or health you likely won’t be held criminally responsible (depends on the state I guess) but you are likely to find yourself in a civil suit to pay damages. Don’t follow all the rules and you could be criminal and civil liable.

Yaupon has just started creeping in my neck of the woods. I see and hear how bad it gets in Louisiana and I guess in East Texas too. So you don’t think fire helps keep it under control? We have been trying to spray it with triclopyr with decent results but I was hoping some understory burning would have positive results also.

check if you need to report controlled burns first , but they are a great tool

light to no wind , burn into the wind , lots of help with water cans and shovels

if you make good boundaries to start

I wonder if a change of timing of fire would help. We have a few invasive species here we are learning that burning at different times really helps the effectiveness

You remember thats Huston and Austin you ol stopping grounds

Not sure of your situation but in the burning we do that's poor/Novice advice
Wind =directional control/ light to none means no control
Back burning is very very slow greatly increasing opportunities to lose fire. Establish adequate back burns then let it rip and get it done.

... good luck with that youpan... only thing that’ll kill it I’ve found is yanking it up by the roots with a tractor and chain for the most part.. fire just pissses it off

... the deep freeze we had a couple years ago did kill quite a bit of it in places

.. but I imagine it’ll come back stronger