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

1. Interagency Prescribed Fire Training/Fire Ecology and ManagementUniversity 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. Parts of a Fire SPOT FIRE FINGER HEAD Wind POCKET LEFT FLANK UNBURNED ISLAND RIGHT FLANK REAR

5. Types of Fires • Surface Fire • Burning in surface fuels • Grass, shrubs, litter • Ground Fire • Smoldering in ground fuels • duff, peat, roots, stumps • Crown Fire • Burning in aerial fuels • Crowns or canopy of the overstory • May or may not be independent of surface fire Photo: Univ. of Toronto Fier Lab Photo: News Provider

6. Types of Crown Fires

7. When do you need to apply your knowledge of ignition techniques? Two situations: • 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” • “A safe way to apply a natural process, ensure ecosystem health, and reduce wildfire risk.” • Suppression burning is the use of prescribed fire in a wildland fire situation

8. 2 Types of Suppression Burning • Counter Fire • Burn-out

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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)

12. What are the FACTORS TO DETERMINE FIRING TECHNIQUES? • OBJECTIVES for your burn • Fuels consumption, wildfire control • Ecological effects • WIND SPEED & DIRECTION (why both?) • SMOKE SENSITIVE AREAS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY? • Special hazards? • CREW EXPERIENCE/KNOWLEDGE

13. 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???

14. 1. Backing Fire

15. 1. Backing Fire BURNS INTO THE WIND

16. 1. Backing Fire- wind is important

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

18. 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

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

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

21. 3. Flank Fire REMAIN IN SIGHT MAINTAIN PACE

22. 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

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

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

25. 4. Point Source (Spot) Fire

26. 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

27. 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?)

28. Point Source (Spot) Fire, initiation

29. Point Source (Spot) Fire- growth

30. 5. Ring Fire

31. 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

32. 5. Ring Fire

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

34. SECUREING A BASE LINE…

35. LINE WIDTH?

36. >2X FLAME LENGTH

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

38. USE CAUTION WALKING DOWNWIND!

39. USE CAUTION IN HEAVY FUELS

40. USE CAUTION ON SLOPES

41. USE CAUTION WHEN FIRES CONVERGE

42. ALWAYS WATCH WHAT YOUR FIRE IS DOING

43. FIRE GENERATED WINDS

44. KNOW LOCATIONS OF PERSONNEL & EQUIPMENT

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

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