- It takes weeks of planning and preparation. Observing the moisture in the ground and air from past rains (or lack thereof). As well as using a bulldozer to "mow" a safety line surrounding the acreage, and providing those areas enough time at the right time of the year to sprout green grasses back as a safety net between the actionable land and the other unkept, highly volatile properties.
- This takes a HIGHLY skilled team of controlled burn specialists.
- 700 acres of fire, seemingly so much potential for disaster, and three men handling it all.... THREE MEN vs 700 ACRES!
- When doing such work, wear all cotton clothing, and the tallest mud boots your own (water moccasins were prevalent in the lower wet areas).
- On days of virtually no wind, there's still a wind current small enough that must be continuously monitored and considered in order to keep it under control.
- Fire remains efficient, useful and purposeful when kept in a thin line only. The team accomplished this by creating the fire line to head into the wind, never with the wind.
- Surrounding roadways and the certainty that visibility for the passing cars as well as the team must be considered. (Sheriff's office from Ragley closed the road adjacent to the land on Thursday.)
- Only a few gallons of water and fuel is actually needed! From my perspective, 98% of the project relies solely on the talent and expertise of the burn team.
- Very little supplies were needed, considering the size of this land: 1 bulldozer, 3 four-wheelers, 2 water tanks, a couple small tanks of fuel, and 3 drip cans... OH! and most importantly: THREE MEN WHO CAN HANDLE HIGH IMPACT, HIGH STRESS SITUATIONS AT THE DROP OF A HAT FOR UP TO 12 HOURS.
Greenery will not burn within a line only of fire. When I witnessed how consistently true this was, I recalled memories of the dare to jump over a campfire as a kid: the excitement of realizing the risk if I was too slow, but the "harmlessness" by jumping through it quick enough. The pine trees were the kids jumping through undamaged. They are green right now and contain enough water within their makeup to withstand the flames for short periods. The dried grasses, however, were hungry to ignite.
THIS.WAS.FACINATING!!!
The perfect, efficient method for purging all that's unwanted; keeping only what matters most to the team and their client - the long leaf pine trees.
As a hobbyist gardener, I observed the other environmental benefits to this process: the natural compost added now. This allows the burnt grasses to transform from a nuisance into the necessary natural nutrients for the trees. The trees will also no longer compete for root system expansion and now bask in full sunlight!