#controlled burning

[thatdisasterauthor]

I just called in my local fire dept on what turned out to be a controlled burn (I could see big flames from across the river and it is a very dry windy day!) I think I made the right call, but I feel very silly!

No no, you did the right thing! Not silly at all.

How private controlled burning is done is going to vary a lot by state/county/even city. But usually you have to have a permit and that permit dictates when, where, and how you can do it. Then on the day you actually burn, you usually have to call in to the local non-emergency number (or some places will set up a dedicated number just for that purpose) to let them know when you're burning, where you're burning, how much, etc. You're also generally required to check conditions either through weather websites, or dedicated permit burning websites.

All of this is done to make controlled burning as safe as possible, but plenty of people DON'T follow these processes. Which is silly because the permits are usually, like, $20-$100.

State and federal controlled burns have waaaaaaayyyyy more paperwork involved, but it's the same basic process. Lots of notifications made to other emergency services ahead of time, lots of careful checks of conditions.

All of that is to say, if you see a fire, call it in. If it is a controlled burn done through the proper process the local dispatch should be aware of it and will respond accordingly by calling to check with the permit holder that things are under control, maybe sending out a police officer or a single firefighter in a regular truck just to check in, but not mounting a full response. If they DON'T have any record of it, though, that probably means the burn isn't permitted and shouldn't be happening even if it is technically under control, so someone does need to respond. Usually in that case they'll make them put it out, and the person(s) responsible could face fines.

And, at the end of the day, if they do mount a full response and end up not having to do anything, it's just good practice! Especially this time of year, honestly. A good little nothing fire helps shake off the cobwebs from the winter. We had one the other day in my district that was a weird little thing between Colorado and Utah that ended up helping us work out a lot of little kinks that would've been much more of a pain to deal with at the height of the season.

So yeah! Not silly. Good job calling it in.

[nutnoce]

Fire suppression p.1 & p.2: “Flame Retardant” & “Building Potential” Inspired by the PEM's ‘Our Time on Earth’ exhibit

I was gladly surprised to see the exhibit’s various optimistic installations, especially the building materials of the future. As a forestry student I am beginning to understand our relationship to our forests differently. In the US, forest policy which aimed to suppress wildfires has contributed to a century-long build up of fuel that would otherwise have been cleared by controlled burns or small spontaneous ground fires. Indigenous peoples shaped the forests of the Americas to require these controlled burns. More and more I realize that indigenous knowledge and collaboration is a necessary part of the stewardship of future. A concept which is present at large at the museum but also specifically within Our Time on Earth. Getting a ‘sustainable’ amount of lumber from our forest still disregards the health and purpose of these trees to a diverse and complex ecosystem. It is essential that we diversify our building material, to include carbon-negative things like mycelium! Natural resources that are close by, and at hand in our local environment, which doesn’t require chopping down a tree 3000 miles away and transporting it to the US. We need local resources whose collective cultivation lead to a sense of community and collaboration. A better future!

My thanks to lane.m.artin for collaborating with me for p.2!

[gentlemanbobwhite]

[gentlemanbobwhite]

A nice spring controlled burn

[gentlemanbobwhite]

Burn Day

[helio-anthus]

I love when people tell me how rare morels are because they ARENT you just live in a capitalist society that profits off of perceived scarcity and no one lives anywhere near the woods and indigenous people are not allowed to practice controlled burning which literally REDUCES forest fires but OKAY

[space-watcher]

Sydney controlled burning

[wildernessphotos]

There's no evidence 'greenies' block bushfire hazard reduction but here's a controlled burn idea worth trying

There’s no evidence ‘greenies’ block bushfire hazard reduction but here’s a controlled burn idea worth trying

Locally managed hazard reduction could give communities greater ownership over prevention and leverage local knowledge. David Bowman, Author provided

Jason Alexandra, RMIT University and David Bowman, University of Tasmania

The current bushfire crisis provides compelling evidence of the dangers posed by extremely dry landscapes and hot, windy conditions.

While there’s no evidence“…

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