The Nebraska Prescribed Fire Council has published its second issue of Prescribed Fire Lessons Learned! The Nebraska Prescribed Fire Council takes submissions from practitioners on lessons learned from prescribed fires to assist producers, landowners, PBAs, and other prescribed fire professionals to keep improving season after season. This forum has been invaluable in learning from one another in hopes that mistakes or judgment calls turn into valuable lessons for all of us building and contributing to prescribed fire culture. Below are some highlights from this issue.
Prescribed Fire Drip Torch Burn – Rapid Lesson Sharing
The Oconee Ranger District conducted a 1,637-acre prescribed fire in Eatonton, Georgia on February 22nd. On the day of the prescribed fire, three firefighters were assigned to the ignition crew and other personnel were assigned to holding and overhead positions. As the morning brief occurred, discussion on hazards including entanglements in vines were common to the area.
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Lessons Learned – Contributing Factors to UTV Rollover on Prescribed Fire
In Feb. 2023, Oakmulgee Ranger District was conducting their first large burn of the season. Multiple off-unit resources had been requested to assist with the burn, including various firefighters from other regions, Job Corps, Bureau of Land Management, and local militia.
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UTV Incidents Dominates 2023 Lessons Learned
One of the big takeaways from the 2023 summary of incident reports from the Wildland Fire Lessoned Learned Center was the increase of UTV related incidents. Over the past 14 years, the most UTV related incidents in one year was 5. In 2023 however, there were 13 related incidents. The graph shows 15 accumulated years of UTV involved incidents, including rollovers, entrapments, equipment damage, and tree strikes.
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Valuable Lessons from Dubba Shop #2 Prescribed Fire in Florida
The Burn Boss (RXB2) for the Miccosukee Tribe in Florida and the Regional Fire Management Officer (FMO) for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, started looking for a burn window for the Dubba Shop #2 Prescribed burn.
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Snow Hill Fire Lessons Learned
On August 2, 2023, the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Texas A&M Forest Service on a grass fire at FM 946 South and Harrell Road. A dominant upper-level ridge of high pressure resided over Texas from the middle of June through early August. These conditions resulted in flash drought conditions, which was only intensified by the well below normal rainfall.