Prescribed Fire Before and After

[Paradise725]

I burned about a 6 acre fallow field at the farm this spring. It was my first ever burn attempt, and I am amazed and excited by the results.

Before burn:

After burn:

Two months later:

I will be doing more prescribed fires in the future. These results were fantastic. The fawning and brooding habitat in this field is top notch right now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[catscratch]

Nice! Looks good. In my part of the world nature responds very well to periodic burns.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[suburbhunter]

Nice!!! Now you can jump over to Butler and hone your craft on my place.

 

[Paradise725]

Nice!!! Now you can jump over to Butler and hone your craft on my place.

I am far from an expert. It was a nerve racking experience to say the least. I can remember my grandpa telling me when I was a kid that if a fire got out at the farm “it would burn the whole country down.” As such, I was tightly wound when we lit the first section.

Maybe in a few years...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[THE LLC]

Nothing more fun than setting fire to the woods!

 

[Ryan]

What did you use for firebreaks? Just mowed down short? When did you burn? Looks great!!

 

[catscratch]

I am far from an expert. It was a nerve racking experience to say the least. I can remember my grandpa telling me when I was a kid that if a fire got out at the farm “it would burn the whole country down.” As such, I was tightly wound when we lit the first section.

Maybe in a few years...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We burn at least a little most years. It's nice to talk with the neighbors before hand to know if they care if their place gets burned also. An old rancher once told me an that holds true about the nerve racking aspect; "I never lit a fire that I didn't immediately regret".

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[SwampCat]

Make sure you have a good umbrella liability insurance policy. I used to burn fairly often - until I had one get out. Havent burned since that day. Didnt have to use my liability policy, but had the wind changed a little bit, I would have burned somebody’s house down. As it was, I burned up some cattle pasture and bought the owner some hay.

that said, fire is one of the best management tools there is. Good looking burn.

 

[Paradise725]

What did you use for firebreaks? Just mowed down short? When did you burn? Looks great!!

I mowed and disced the day of the burn, which made for a terrible fire break. We set the downwind edge on fire first, then used leaf blowers to make sure the fire didn’t cross the break. This was made easier by the mowing and discing but the fire would still carry across the break if you weren’t careful. We went very slowly to make sure stayed in control. Once we had the entire downwind edges burned at least 20-30’ we went to the upwind edge and set the head fire.

I realize this was far from a professional approach and was riskier than most would be comfortable with, but we had 4 men on duty at all times to keep things under control. The wind was steady during the burn and we burned very slowly until we were certain the perimeter was set. That being said, I will be doing the next burn differently and have a better fire break established.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Paradise725]

We burn at least a little most years. It's nice to talk with the neighbors before hand to know if they care if their place gets burned also. An old rancher once told me an that holds true about the nerve racking aspect; "I never lit a fire that I didn't immediately regret".

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Yeah we were burning in an area with very little risk to the neighbors. If it had gotten out of hand, it would have had to travel across a blacktop or gravel road, a running creek, or 1/2 mile of woodland to ever touch a neighbors property. Still nerve racking! lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KSQ2]

Spring burning used to be a part of what we did on our place periodically, but the sericia lespidizia took away that option.

 

[catscratch]

Spring burning used to be a part of what we did on our place periodically, but the sericia lespidizia took away that option.

I think we've discussed this before but K-State is reporting good control with fall burning.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[Paradise725]

Spring burning used to be a part of what we did on our place periodically, but the sericia lespidizia took away that option.

I have some of that stuff nearby on my place but thankfully not in this field. I have heard that herbicide application after the fire and after the greenup can kill it but yeah it’s annoying that sericea is like the one thing that is such low value but thrives in a landscape with fire.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KSQ2]

I think we've discussed this before but K-State is reporting good control with fall burning.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

I hear ya, we’ve talked about that before on the Kansas forum. I just can’t bring myself to burn in the fall on our place.

 

[catscratch]

I hear ya, we’ve talked about that before on the Kansas forum. I just can’t bring myself to burn in the fall on our place.

I've got a pasture I want to try it on but conditions haven't been "perfect" yet.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk