Prescribed fires prevent wildfires

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman John Gordinier
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (ACCNS) --  Most of us have heard the commonly known phrase "fight fire with fire." This is exactly what seven people at Shaw do to prevent wildfires. According to South Carolina Forestry Commission literature, fire in the hands of a skilled professional can be a very effective natural resource management tool.

The 20th Civil Engineer Squadron environmental flight periodically performs prescribed fires at the Poinsett Electronic Combat Range.

"Our two main objectives in a prescribed fire are wildlife habitat management and fuel reduction," said Julie Hovis, 20th CES endangered species manager. "Unlike wildfires, a prescribed fire is a fire that is under control."

On Jan. 12, fuel reduction was the main focus, she said. Approximately 100 acres of land and 200 tons of fuel, such as grass, twigs and pine needles, were burned to prevent wildfires in the future.

For wildlife habitat management, South Carolina Forestry Commission literature says that many wildlife species benefit from controlled fires. Fire can remove thick undergrowth, which makes travel and feeding much easier for some species such as turkey and deer. The fire also promotes growth of valuable wildlife food plants such as legumes and hardwood sprouts.

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker, which is an endangered specie and native to South Carolina, also benefits from the prescribed fires, Ms. Hovis said. A healthy Red-cockaded Woodpecker population is directly related to a healthy southern pine ecosystem and they both evolved in a fire-dominated system. The bird requires fire to manage and maintain its habitat.

"Depending on the conditions, we burn as often as we can anytime between December and March," Ms. Hovis said.

"Prescribed fires prevent future wildfires by decreasing fuel," Ms. Hovis said. "If there is little fuel, there can only be a little fire. If we don't burn the fuel and let it accumulate, sooner or later a wildfire will break out due to dropped ordnance on the range or lightning and the damage can be catastrophic."

A prescribed fire requires a lot of planning and preparation, said Jimmy Davis, 20th CES prescribed fire manager. Guidelines considered during the planning phase include the reason for the burn, wind direction and speed, location, humidity, drought index and terrain type.

Smoke is another consideration.

"We must abide by all state smoke management guidelines and be aware of smoke sensitive areas such as highways, towns and houses nearby," Mr. Davis said. "After looking at the wind direction and speed as well as the distance to smoke sensitive areas, we determine where the smoke will go and if the conditions are right for the controlled fire."

Prior to the burn at the range, authorization from the South Carolina Forestry Commission must be attained, Ms. Hovis said, so they aren't alarmed when they see the smoke.

During a prescribed fire Shaw's firefighters are there as well, Ms. Hovis said. They are there for support and back up.

"We always start with a test fire and if it does not burn as planned, we turn it over to the firefighters who will then extinguish the fire," Ms. Hovis said.

The firefighters also wet the ground surrounding objects and lights to prevent fire damage to them during the burn, she said. The lights illuminate the combat range at night and objects that are protected include old tanks and antique military equipment that surround the field.

"For every control burn, safety is the No. 1 issue," Mr. Davis said. "We spend most of the time planning the burn, and then we wait for the proper weather. If the weather isn't perfect, we come back another day."