Well, that depends upon your neighbors – just kidding. If your neighbor is genuinely conducting a “prescribed fire”, the answer is, generally, no. The term prescribed fire comes from the process by where a burn is carefully planned to achieve defined objectives. As part of that planning process, safety is a central consideration. Moreover, one of the best ways to ensure safety is to communicate with neighbors – as well as local fire departments – prior to and on the day of burning. If this has not occurred, contacting your neighbor is recommended. Ideally, they would be more than willing to discuss the details of the burn, as well as contingency plans.
Do prescribed fires prevent wildfires?
Generally speaking, prescribed fire use is not intended to prevent wildfires. The idea of preventing wildfires is a misnomer. The potential for fire occurrence depends primarily on fuel (e.g., loading, type, arrangement, moisture content) and weather conditions. However, immediately following most prescribed fires the likelihood of a wildfire is reduced because of a lack of fine fuels (that were consumed by the prescribed fire), but given vegetation (fuel) regrowth, the chance for ignition returns. In fact, increased fire frequency generally promotes or favors fine fuels (e.g., grasses) that are easier to ignite as compared to large diameter fuels. However, when used every 3-10 years depending on fuel type, prescribed fires can reduce fuel loads that otherwise could contribute to increased wildfire behavior given the right conditions.
How does fire affect woody plants?
Multiple biotic (e.g., plant vigor) and abiotic factors (e.g., climate) interact to affect how woody plants respond to fire. Generally speaking, woody plant response to fire depends on whether the plant is a sprouter or non-sprouter. “Sprouter” is an informal name given to plants that are known to resprout (typically from the base or roots) after being top-killed (by fire or other means), whereas “non-sprouter” characterizes plants that rely on seeds to repopulate after being top-killed. For example, eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) is a nonsprouter while alligator juniper (Juniperus deppeana) is a sprouter. Note fire tolerance can vary within the same genus. See Fire Effects Information System to see how specific species respond to fire. Abiotic factors include fire intensity, timing, and frequency. Frequent fire generally favors herbaceous over woody plants, and can be used to keep woody plants in a suppressed, shrub-like state. For more information see Fire Effects in Native Plant Communities (.pdf).
What is the rate of spread of a fire?
Rate of spread is the amount of time it takes for the leading edge of a fire to travel from point A to point B, and is commonly measured in miles per hour or feet per minute. Factors that affect rate of spread include weather (e.g., wind speed, relative humidity, temperature), fuel (e.g., moisture, arrangement, size, load, type), and topography (e.g., slope, aspect, elevation, configuration). Calculating (potential) rates of spread is useful when planning and preparing for prescribed fires as well as when suppressing spot fires and wildfires.
What is a spot fire?
The term spot fire describes a fire ignited outside of a burn unit as a result of a windborne ember (sometimes referred to as a firebrand). Prescribed fire practitioners should be diligent to watch for spot fires and extinguish them quickly before they reach unmanageable sizes. Understanding when and where spot fires are likely to occur is a useful skill when conducting prescribed burns. Sometimes this can be a costly learning curve. Relative humidity can be used to predict the likelihood of spot fires. For example, as relative humidity drops below 40% the probability of spot fires increases. As relative humidity approaches 25%, spot fires become likely. For more information about spot fires when planning prescribed fires see the following publication: Fire Prescriptions for Maintenance and Restoration of Native Plant Communities (.pdf, 1 MB).
What is a fire regime?
Fire regime is a term used to characterize the frequency, extent, intensity, severity and seasonality of fires within an ecosystem over an extended period of time. For example, historically, ponderosa pine forests in the Southwest were generally characterized by a high frequency (2-12 years), low intensity, and low severity spring & summer fire regime.
What is a recommended wind speed to conduct a prescribed fire?
Although every burn unit is unique and requires a unique burn plan, in many cases, recommended wind speeds for conducting prescribed burns are 4 to 15 mph. However, there are exceptions where wind speeds above and below this range are suitable. Factors to consider include slope, relative humidity, fuel breaks, crew experience, and fuel conditions (e.g., loading, type, arrangement, moisture).
In general, rangelands should not be burned when there is little or no wind as these conditions make fire spread less predictable and increase the risk of fire whirls/tornadoes. Most prescribed burns require sustained winds out of a specific direction to ensure some level of predictability and to disperse smoke. For more information, see Fire Prescriptions for Maintenance and Restoration of Native Plant Communities.
Under what temperatures should I conduct a prescribed burn?
From a fire containment standpoint, temperature is not as critical as compared to relative humidity and wind speed. As rule of thumb, remember that as temperature increases by 20°F, relative humidity decreases by about 50%, and vice versa. However, (high) temperatures should be considered in regards to how it might affect crew stress and safety. Likewise, prescribed fires conducted above 32°F avoid challenges of freezing water tanks and sprayers.
For more information about weather and prescribed burning refer to Fire Prescriptions for Maintenance and Restoration of Native Plant Communities.
What clothes should I wear to conduct a prescribed fire?
Personal safety is a primary concern on every prescribed burn. Long pants and long-sleeved shirts provide personal protection from embers and radiant heat. Pants and shirts made of flame-resistant material such as Nomex or Indura cotton are recommended, but clothing made of 100% cotton or wool is adequate. Do not wear synthetic fibers such as nylon or polyester as it can melt or ignite. Avoid wearing clothes that have rips, tears, or holes as fabric along these edges can burn. Lace-up leather boots provide the best protection from radiant heat and embers. A helmet is recommended to protect against embers and falling debris, and can be used to secure a neck and face shroud. If a helmet is not available, a cap or hat will help protect hair from embers. Goggles will protect eyes from embers and debris and help with smoke. Chrome tanned all-leather gloves provide the best hand protection. For more information, download the Prescribed Burning Handbook (10 MB).
What is a prescribed fire association or cooperative?
A prescribed fire association is a group of landowners and managers in an area who pool their resources, such as equipment and labor, to assist each other with conducting prescribed fires. This type of group cooperation provides landowners the equipment, labor, and experience to safely burn. There are over 50 prescribed fire associations across the country with most of them located in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Nebraska. For more information about prescribed fire associations visit the following link: http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2819/NREM-2880web.pdf