Spring Burn

It’s that time of year. We burn several hundred acres of pasture, timber and glades to promote native grass and control brush every spring-weather permitting. It looked like it might be dry enough Sunday to get it done – if we could gather a crew and those clouds didn’t bring in showers. It was a questionable start but turned out to be a perfect burn day.

Lane manned the radio in the ranger with Brylee and Jayce. In an area with questionable cell service the radios make big difference.
Dustin is packing 3 gallons of water on his back and Carter has the four-wheeler with a sprayer.
Carter and Drake
Tim, Pam, Zac and a drip torch – ready to light things up.
Lunch is a sandwich while we keep burning.
The first thing we do is get a 1.5 mile perimeter burn done. Once that line is laid in we light the center up.
It is smokey, hot, and hard work!
Jayce and Drake walk with the drip torch while Brylee follows to pick them up when they finish lighting up this area.
We had three big sprayers on the UTVS, backpack sprayers, shovels and rakes (Mitch had one in his hand the entire day). You might think 3 sprayers were a little much, but they all had to make trips back to the house for refills. Having enough people and equipment is a must for this kind of project.
The flames and the smoke make some amazing photos.
In the timber.
Flames
Sunlight trying to come through the smoke.
Burning through a glade.

We finished the day exhausted, with aching feet, gritty eyes and smelling like smoke, but it was a fun day and a good burn.

Until next time.

Don’t forget to shut the gate.