The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota - Fire: Fire Management Planning

Planning and Preparation
After a site has been chosen for prescribed fire implementation and management, existing fire breaks are used and new fire breaks are created when needed. Fire breaks are constructed by removing fuels from and near the line to reduce residual burning.

In grass, fire breaks are installed by mowing and raking grass away from the fire line. In forested areas, trees, logs and other organic debris are cleared from the line. Fuels which contribute to crown fires, i.e., many young pine trees packed together, are thinned and limbed up to minimize fire reaching into the upper branches.

When the site has been prepared, a burn prescription can be composed. A burn prescription contains the necessary weather conditions, personnel and equipment to safely carry out the fire, along with outlining surrounding fuels and what to do in a contingency situation.

Public outreach and education is also an important component to alert neighbors of the fire before it is started.

Smoke Management
Fire managers have detailed knowledge of current and predicted weather conditions before choosing to proceed with a prescribed fire. Weather conditions are continuously monitored throughout a fire to confirm the forecasted conditions.

Knowledge of predicted weather, years of experience and extensive training efforts enable fire managers to burn at times in which smoke will have a minimum effect on neighboring homes, businesses and roads.

A combination of weather and atmospheric conditions contributes to a predicted smoke dispersal category ranging from poor to excellent and the time of day that these conditions can be expected. Using this method, along with fuel moisture conditions and complex fire behavior models, fire managers choose the conditions under which to proceed with a fire with minimal chances of affecting others and accomplishing a prescribed fire safely and effectively.

Training Efforts
The Nature Conservancy and Camp Ripley have hosted annual Introductory Firefighting and Fire Behavior courses in addition to the annual refresher since 2003. In fall 2005, Introduction to Fire Effects, a course in the prescribed fire series, drew fire personnel from around the state and region to learn about the effects fires have on vegetation and animal species.

Courses are federally sanctioned by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) and meet specifications recognized by all state and federal firefighting organizations.

Photo Captions:
(left):Fire line construction © TNC
(right): Minnesota Conservation Corps member Louis Skowyra monitors wind speed and direction on a prescribed fire at Camp Ripley National Guard Base. © Deanna Nelson

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