Before and after the burn.
On December 18th, the Master Naturalists ended 2022 with a burn at the old Redings Mill Bridge restoration site. Prescribed burns are one of the best ways to maintain the natural biodiversity of glades, prairies, woodlands, and savannah plant communities. When done on a regular schedule, burns recycle nutrients into the soil, stimulate growth, promote seed germination, and prevent the invasion of woody growth. Woody growth such as shrubs and tree saplings need to be prevented in these plant communities or else, they will shade out important species of plants which need full sun.
Fire is an important natural tool for maintaining our local ecosystems. Historically, some fires were caused by lightning strikes. The vast majority, however, were intentionally started by indigenous peoples such as the Osage in Missouri. I am particularly fascinated by historical and current prescribed burning because it is further evidence that humans belong as a part of nature as stewards of the land. As long as we follow proper practices and especially as long as we follow indigenous guidance, we can manage land in a way that is not extracting or damaging.
The first thing to think about when conducting a prescribed burn is personal safety. Everyone at the burn had either completed or was in the process of completing the MDC level one burn training. This training teaches about goals for prescribed burns, proper technique, equipment, and PPE. For PPE we all wore cotton pants, leather boots, and leather gloves. Randal also provided us with Nomex shirts, which are made of a special fireproof material. We’re also encouraged to wear face coverings and eye protection to deal with the smoke. All of the equipment you wear is to prevent any accidents if embers fly in your direction. Wearing this gear, along with conducting proper protocols in proper weather, greatly reduces any chance for injury during a burn.
One of the biggest considerations for conducting a prescribed burn is weather. Weather conditions need to be perfect in order to have a burn that won’t get out of hand. We were lucky to have the weather in our favor, as there had been some concern earlier whether the dry, windy fall would allow us to have a burn this year at all. Two weeks before, Karen, Donna, Randal, and I prepared the site for the burn. That way, if we did get the right weather, we would be able to jump on the opportunity at a moment’s notice. That involved mowing around recently planted shrubs, signs, and fence posts. Much of that was done by hand, which I think was impressive. We also cut down some larger plants by the path such as ash saplings. This prep made the day of the actual burn much easier when we didn’t have to work to protect every fence post
Fortunately for us, some rain the week before led to the perfect combination of weather conditions to have a safe prescribed burn. These conditions include proper relative humidity - too low and it can burn too hot and dangerously quickly, too high and it won’t burn at all or just produce a lot of unwanted smoke. The wind also needs to be just right - too high and the fire can rage out of control, jumping across burn lines into neighboring property. No wind at all would make for a very slow and frustrating day watching fire creep at a snail’s pace.
Needless to say , iI can take a while for all the right conditions to line up for a burn. That’s why, when volunteering to participate, you usually only get a day or two notice. Even then, the burn can be canceled or delayed. We had to postpone this burn from a planned start at 11 to a 12:30 start to reach ideal weather conditions. Things like humidity and wind can change throughout the day, so that is always a consideration depending on how long a burn will take. This site wasn’t very big, so we had the benefit of burning when conditions were ideal.
Another benefit of this burn was the existing burn line. The burn unit was surrounded by gravel or asphalt, which really doesn’t burn. I had a flapper, a tool that smothers small fires, with me, but I barely had to use it. These advantages - great weather conditions, a small burn unit, and strong fire lines meant that we were able to get the burn done with a small team. Karen, Lisa, Donna, Randal, and I had a rather laid-back time burning without needing a big water truck or radios. Randal as well as Karen and Donna were experienced members of our burn team. I had participated in a few burns before at Prairie State Park which were different since they were much bigger. This was Lisa’s first field experience.
Randal did most of the work using a drip torch, which drips a burning mix of gas and diesel onto the ground. Karen used a leaf blower to extinguish small fires where we didn’t want them. Lisa, Donna, and I used flappers and rakes to stop small fires as well. It was cool to see that, with the right preparation and team, a prescribed burn could just be a fun afternoon.
The main struggle we faced was getting some sections to burn! On the lower slope, there wasn’t as much wind, so fire didn’t carry across very well. We got some results by transferring burning material to different unburned patches, but it wasn’t nearly as thorough as at the top of the burn unit. I also found that, being a glade, this spot had a lot of rocks that didn’t want to burn (despite my best efforts)! Overall, our main priority site got thoroughly toasted, so we were satisfied.
Singed prickly pear cactus
The results looked good, once you programmed your brain to appreciate a burned landscape. An important practice during prescribed burns is to burn only a portion of the entire area at one time. That allows wildlife such as nesting birds, overwintering insects, and small mammals to still have some refuge while the burned section grows back. In our case, while the bridge restoration area was burned, the rest of the Shoal Creek trail remained for wildlife to take shelter. While I didn’t see any that day, it is common to see birds of prey patrol an area after it is burned to catch uncovered prey. I was particularly interested in the prickly pears all over the site, which exhibited a sort of blistering. They also had their spines burned off. I am interested to see how they recover.
It snowed a few days after the burn, which in combination with the ground-clearing fire should result in good seed germination in the spring. Combined with the new growth that fire stimulates, I think this restoration site will have a beautiful 2023!
Donna C. and Randal S.
Emily B. and Karen M. ready and waiting for the fire
Randal coming back through to take care of some missed grasses with Emily, Karen M. and Donna C watching a few flames behind him.
the string of flames going across the glade
Article submitted by Emily Bowyer & Pictures by Emily B. and Karen G.