Fire

Question 1

Fire

Oak forests:
Purpose
Targeted plants
Timing

Answer 1

Oak Forests:

Purpose: Reduce competition from shade-tolerant, fire-sensitive species like maple and beech; promote oak regeneration by creating light gaps and reducing midstory; improve wildlife habitat by stimulating understory growth and hard mast production

Targeted plants: Fire-sensitive tree species (maple, beech, tulip poplar); shrubs like spicebush and pawpaw; fire promotes oak, hickory, shortleaf pine, and native understory plants like bluestem grasses, legumes, and asters

Timing: Winter (Dec-Feb) or early spring (Mar-Apr) burns; low-intensity surface fires; avoid growing season burns to minimize damage to desirable species; burn every 3-7 years depending on objectives

Question 2

Fire

Old fields and pastures
Purpose
Targeted plants
Timing

Answer 2

Old Fields and Pastures:

Purpose: Control woody encroachment from invasive species and early successional trees; maintain grassland structure; promote native grasses, forbs, and legumes; improve forage quality for livestock and wildlife

Targeted plants: Invasive woody species (autumn olive, multiflora rose, bush honeysuckle); cool-season grasses like tall fescue and orchardgrass; fire promotes native warm-season grasses (big bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass), forbs (goldenrod, beggar’s lice), and legumes (partridge pea, lespedeza)

Timing: Late winter (Feb-Mar) or early spring (Apr) burns; low to moderate-intensity fires; avoid burning during peak nesting season for grassland birds (May-Jul); burn every 2-4 years depending on objectives

Question 3

Fire

Grasslands
Purpose
Targeted plants
Timing

Answer 3

Grasslands:

Purpose: Maintain grassland structure and species composition; control woody encroachment from trees and shrubs; promote native species diversity and habitat heterogeneity; improve nesting and brood-rearing habitat for grassland birds

Targeted plants: Woody species (red cedar, blackberry, sumac); non-native grasses like smooth brome and Kentucky bluegrass; fire promotes native warm-season grasses (little bluestem, sideoats grama), forbs (coneflowers, black-eyed susan), and legumes (Illinois bundleflower, purple prairie clover)

Timing: Late winter (Feb-Mar) or early spring (Apr) burns; low to moderate-intensity fires; avoid burning during peak nesting season for grassland birds (May-Jul); burn every 3-5 years depending on objectives

Question 4

Fire

Wildlife management:
Benefits
Considerations

Answer 4

Benefits: Improves habitat structure and composition for species like bobwhite quail (nesting cover, bare ground, insects), wild turkey (nesting cover, brood-rearing habitat, hard mast), and eastern cottontail (early successional cover, forbs); creates landscape heterogeneity and edge habitat

Considerations: Burn timing should avoid peak nesting seasons; patch size should be 20-50 acres for quail and 50-100 acres for turkey; burn frequency should be every 2-4 years for quail and 3-7 years for turkey; leave unburned patches for refugia

Question 5

Fire

Burn timing:
Time of day
Time of year

Answer 5

Burn Timing:

Time of day: Typically ignited between 10am and 3pm when humidity is 30-50%, winds are 5-15 mph, and temperatures are 40-70°F; avoid burning during temperature inversions or high fire danger

Time of year: Winter (Dec-Feb) or early spring (Mar-Apr) burns are common; avoid burning during droughts, leaf-off conditions, or extreme fire danger; consider phenology of target species

Question 6

Fire

Firing Techniques and Ignition Patterns:
Backfire
Flankfire
Headfire
Strip-headfire

Answer 6

Firing Techniques and Ignition Patterns:

Backfire: Ignited along downwind control line, moves slowly into the wind, lowest intensity and slowest rate of spread; used for control lines or to consume heavy fuels

Flankfire: Ignited perpendicular to the wind, moves laterally across the slope, moderate intensity and rate of spread; used for larger areas or to steer the fire

Headfire: Ignited along upwind control line, moves quickly with the wind, highest intensity and fastest rate of spread; used for quick burns or to create black lines

Strip-headfire: Ignited in strips progressively upwind, allows for better control and smoke management; used for larger areas or to reduce fire intensity

Question 7

Fire

Topographic considerations:
Aspect
Slope

Answer 7

Topographic Considerations:

Aspect: South and west-facing slopes receive more solar radiation, have lower fuel moisture, and burn more intensely than north and east-facing slopes; use caution when igniting fires on these slopes

Slope: Fire moves more quickly upslope due to preheating and convection; use caution when igniting fires on steep terrain (>20% slope); consider igniting from top of slope and burning downhill

Question 8

Fire

Smoke management:
Considerations
Techniques

Answer 8

Smoke Management:

Considerations: Monitor wind direction and atmospheric stability to minimize smoke impacts on roads, homes, and sensitive areas; use caution when burning near populated areas, hospitals, or airports

Techniques: Use backing fires and strip-headfires to reduce smoke production; ignite burns when dispersion conditions are favorable (mixing height >1500 ft, transport wind speed >5 mph); notify local authorities and neighbors before burning

Question 9

Fire

Fire Weather:
Key factors
Monitoring

Answer 9

Fire Weather:

Key factors: Wind speed and direction (5-15 mph, steady direction), relative humidity (30-50%), temperature (40-70°F), and fuel moisture (10-hr fuel moisture 6-15%)

Monitoring: Use fire weather forecasts from NWS or state agencies; take on-site weather measurements before and during the burn; adjust tactics based on changing conditions

Question 10

Fire

Fire Behavior:
Influenced by
Prediction
Control

Answer 10

Fire Behavior:

Influenced by: Fuel type (grass, leaf litter, woody debris), fuel load (tons/acre), fuel moisture (live and dead), topography (slope, aspect), and weather (wind, humidity, temperature)

Prediction: Use fire behavior models like BehavePlus or FireFamilyPlus to predict rate of spread, flame length, and fireline intensity; use experienced personnel to assess fire behavior in the field

Control: Establish control lines (bare mineral soil, wet lines, roads) before ignition; use appropriate firing techniques based on conditions; have adequate resources (personnel, equipment, water) available for containment; monitor fire behavior and adjust tactics as needed