Control burn gets away

[Gator]

This is in the panhandle of FL, I know a few people that live in the area and one who's house burned. They say a controlled burn got away b/c of 40mph winds etc. Who burns in that kind of wind? Burned something like 800 acres and close to 40 houses but I've yet to hear anything about the burn company being held responsible. Surely they are, right???

http://www.wjhg.com/content/news/Officials-determine-cause-of-Eastpoint-wildfire-486684911.html

 

[cutman]

I’m sure the burn company will be held liable. Their insurance will probably payout a huge amount. It’s scary how fast fire can take off, and it’s an awful, helpless feeling to watch one get away.

 

[T-Max]

Scary stuff. There are a few guys around here who will contract burn. Most have quit because of the insurance...

 

[Elkaddict]

Insurance will pay off limits and company will go bankrupt....

 

[SwampCat]

I dont burn anymore for that very reason. I have been to all kinds of controlled burning training - the more training I went to, the more worried I got everytime we/I burned. One day, I had one get out on my own property - the wind was blowing less than ten miles an hour - towards a paved road on the east side of my land. Didnt burn anything other than my own land. Had the wind been blowing from the east, and that fire got out - I would have burned a couple of neighbor’s houses. Havent burned anything since - and that was about six years ago.

 

[Gravel Road]

That's crazy that they were burning in anywhere near 40 mph wind. We have to call in and get permission from the fire department before the burn, and they have very specific conditions that must be met prior to approval. 15 mph winds or less and dew point, etc. Honestly, I'm too paranoid to burn if it exceeded their conditions anyway. Still, each year people attempt to burn in 20 or 30 mph winds and it gets away from them.

 

[TreeDaddy]

A really sick feeling when a burn gets away from you

bill

 

[catscratch]

Talking with an old rancher once and he told me "I've never lit a fire that I didn't instantly regret". That about sums up how you feel when one gets away from you.

 

[buckdeer1]

From what I read the state knows exactly what happened and was handing out emergency funds to those homeowners.An 800 acre fire is a good size fire but we have been traveling 2-3 hours a couple times a year fighting fires that were up to over 400,000 acres.I tell people that think they want to light a control burn to remember that anything that happens because of the fire they will be responsible for

 

[FL Plotter]

This story is in my backyard. Our local restaurant owner, now FL CFO, has authorized $5K emergency assistance per victim.
https://www.mypanhandle.com/news/st...ial-aid-for-eastpoint-fire-victims/1269053682

Lots of planted pines in my area...lots of control burns. Sometimes they don't go right.