Controlled Prairie Burn
The photos illustrate, in sequential order, a controlled burn that was done to manage a newly established reconstructed prairie. The wind was blowing out of the Northwest, so we started the fire in the Southeast corner of the prairie. There was a mowed firebreak to the south and east, to prevent a head fire (blowing with the wind). The fire burned slowly into the wind (back fire). As the south border got burned, we moved up the west border, and when that got most of the way done, we began to burn up the east side, and then along the north. Eventually the three sides came together in the middle of the prairie (see picture 7) and created spectacular high flames (see picture 8), before going out (see picture 9) as the fuel/plant material was consumed.
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