Interagency Prescribed Fire Training/ Fire Ecology and Management, University of Florida

1. Interagency Prescribed Fire Training/Fire Ecology and Management, University of Florida Ignition Techniques (adapted from FL DOF)

2. Objectives • Characterize basic fire types • Link fire types to ignition patterns • Identify safety concerns • Describe when to use what • Methods of pile/windrow burning • Develop an ignition plan (you will do this later in your Burn Plan)

3. Two situations requiring knowledge of ignition techniques • Prescribed Fire: “Fire applied in a knowledgeable manner to forest fuels on a specific land area under selected weather conditions to accomplish predetermined, well-defined management objectives” • Suppression burning is the use of prescribed fire in a wildland fire situation

4. 2 types of suppression burning • Counter Fire • Burn-out

5. Counter Fire • Fire applied to stop the forward spread of uncontrolled fire • GENERALLY NOT USED IN I.A. • NEED AT LEAST 2 CREW MEMBERS • ONLY IN CERTAIN FUEL TYPES ( not blowy leaf!) • ONLY BY EXPERIENCED firefighters • HIGH RISK • TIME CRITICAL

6. Burn-out: when? • Often times on wildfires, control lines are established some distance from fire edge • Pockets • Inaccessible areas • Pre-existing control lines • Areas of lesser fuel concentrations

7. Learn the Basic Fire Types- Related to Wind OBJECTIVES • Characterize basic fire types • Backing • Head • Flanking • Link fire types to ignition patterns • Identify safety concerns • Describe when to use what • Methods of pile/windrow burning • Develop an ignition plan (you will do this later in your Burn Plan)

8. What are the FACTORS TO DETERMINE FIRING TECHNIQUES? • OBJECTIVES • WIND SPEED & DIRECTION • SMOKE SENSITIVE AREAS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY? • CREW EXPERIENCE/KNOWLEDGE

9. 1. Backing Fire • Used to establish baseline • Generally safest • Longer residence times • Slowest R.O.S.’s (1-3 ch/hr) • ROS determined by Fuel Moisture • Excellent for heavy fuel loads • Used to burn around values • Generally not the primary technique • Why not???

10. 1. Backing Fire

11. 1. Backing Fire BURNS INTO THE WIND

12. Backing, Flanking Fire- video

13. 1. Backing Fire- wind is important

14. 1. Backing Fire • When backfire is the primary technique, consider: • Windspeeds & fuel moistures • Establishing additional baselines • Orienting burn blocks WIND

15. 2. Strip-Head Fire • Most frequently used technique • Fastest method • Can manipulate intensity with strip width and time interval • Consider: • Width of strips • Changing weather conditions • Changing fuel conditions • Using spots where necessary • Spotting potential • Convection activity • “Closing the door” too soon

16. 2. Strip-Head Fire STAY BEHIND DOWNWIND IGNITOR!

17. 2. Strip-Head Fire • Intensity is controlled by line spacing and timing • Spread rate is sensitive to windspeed

18. Fire- video

19. 3. Flank Fire REMAIN IN SIGHT MAINTAIN PACE

20. 3. Flank Fire • Can be an excellent tool, burn large areas with less effort • Uniform fire intensities • Minimal spotting • Good in diverse fuel types • Consider: • Winds (Dir. & Speed.)- must be steady! • Number & experience of igniters- must be experienced! • Communications & visibility (in unit) • Conducive burn block orientation • Using spot ignitions within the flanks • Varying the flank ignition speed to control intensity

21. 3. Flank Fire WIND FIRE BURNS 90° TO WIND FLANKFIRE WALK INTO WIND

22. 3. Flank Fire- pace of ignition affects fire behavior

23. 4. Point Source (Spot) Fire

24. 4. Point Source (Spot) Fire • Excellent for large areas (aerial ignition) • Best technique for controlling intensities in various weather conditions • Can be used in conjunction with strip head & flank technique • Effective in heavy fuels • Burn manager can control where convection occurs • Quickest way to complete ignition

25. Point Source (Spot) Fire • When spot firing, burn managers should consider how to change fire intensity: • Width between spots • Width between strips • Changes in weather & fuels • Location of spots • Spotting potential • Difficulty in maintaining grid • Grid orientation to wind • Fast burn, high convection (why?)

26. Point Source (Spot) Fire, initiation

27. Point Source (Spot) Fire- growth

28. 5. Ring Fire

29. 5. Ring Fire • Traditionally used for site-prep • Minimizes short range spotting • Quick & easy • Early “point-of-no-return” • Traps wildlife, high intensity • High convective heat transfer • When using ring ignition, consider: • Access • Objectives (overstory, smoke plume, speed) • Where to start • Crew experience • Begin with center point ignition

30. 5. Ring Fire

31. How it’s really done: • USE A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES OVER A RANGE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR MOSAIC BURN PATTERNS

32. SECUREING A BASE LINE…

33. LINE WIDTH?

34. >2X FLAME LENGTH

35. DO NOT “CLOSE THE DOOR”! CAN CAUSE FIRE WHIRLS (VORTICES)

36. USE CAUTION WALKING DOWNWIND!

37. USE CAUTION IN HEAVY FUELS

38. USE CAUTION ON SLOPES

39. USE CAUTION WHEN FIRES CONVERGE

40. ALWAYS WATCH WHAT YOUR FIRE IS DOING

41. FIRE GENERATED WINDS

42. KNOW LOCATIONS OF PERSONNEL & EQUIPMENT

43. Ignition steps • Evaluate conditions, resources, and objectives to determine desired fire behavior. • Test burn and evaluation • Black line • Ignition techniques • Contingency plans

44. L.C.E.S. SAFETY should always be on your mind LOOKOUTS COMMUNICATIONS ESCAPE ROUTES SAFETY ZONES