Nicely done...
http://ktul.com/news/local/prescribed-grass-fires-protect-the-oklahoma-prairie
"OSAGE COUNTY, Okla. (KTUL) – Just saying the word wildfire can put a chill into a lot of Oklahomans.
They know those fires can take their homes and endanger their families, but fire also has a different side.
It can be used to revive pasture land and it is a primary tool that’s used to protect the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve just north of Pawhuska.
We joined the staff of the Nature Conservancy for a prescribed burn Monday morning.
The effort was a real lesson on the benefits and the dangers of fire.
While the area has recently had seven inches of rain and half the fuel for the fire was bright green, they didn’t have any trouble getting it to burn.
The fires burn away trees and the thick mat of dead vegetation that can slow the growth of the grasses and other desirable native plants.
They also mimic the actions of lightning strikes and native tribes long before there was an Oklahoma.
Burning is necessary to preserve the environment, but it’s done with a great deal of care.
Bob Hamilton is the director of the preserve and he says they don’t want one to get away.
Hamilton joked, “The throwaway line here is, wooo, that one’s going to Topeka!”
He added, “With roughly about four to five million acres, is what‘s here in the Osage Flint Hills. With fine continuous fuels, it can sure run.
While the safety conditions were very good for Monday’s burn, when things are dry and windy the crews know they face real dangers.
Tony Brown, of the Nature Conservancy staff, will tell you it pays to keep a level head, Brown said, “When its gets a little sketchy, I guess you would say, you’ve gotta slow down, step back and take a breath."
They were all pleased with the results of the burn, but they get a lot of practice.
They burn ten thousand to fifteen thousand acres of the preserve every year.
Monday’s fire boss hopes more people will learn, the flames are part of our history.
Jeremy Tubbs said, "You get a lot of people who say, the land used to burn all the time. As a child, I used to watch the fires come through, or my grandfather used to burn and I think those people appreciate it.”
The fires and the preserve's bison combine to keep the land like it was 10,000 years ago.
The preserve staff said the flames don’t ad to pollution, because they increased growth of prairie vegetation, takes in more carbon monoxide than the flames give off."
http://ktul.com/news/local/prescribed-grass-fires-protect-the-oklahoma-prairie
"OSAGE COUNTY, Okla. (KTUL) – Just saying the word wildfire can put a chill into a lot of Oklahomans.
They know those fires can take their homes and endanger their families, but fire also has a different side.
It can be used to revive pasture land and it is a primary tool that’s used to protect the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve just north of Pawhuska.
We joined the staff of the Nature Conservancy for a prescribed burn Monday morning.
The effort was a real lesson on the benefits and the dangers of fire.
While the area has recently had seven inches of rain and half the fuel for the fire was bright green, they didn’t have any trouble getting it to burn.
The fires burn away trees and the thick mat of dead vegetation that can slow the growth of the grasses and other desirable native plants.
They also mimic the actions of lightning strikes and native tribes long before there was an Oklahoma.
Burning is necessary to preserve the environment, but it’s done with a great deal of care.
Bob Hamilton is the director of the preserve and he says they don’t want one to get away.
Hamilton joked, “The throwaway line here is, wooo, that one’s going to Topeka!”
He added, “With roughly about four to five million acres, is what‘s here in the Osage Flint Hills. With fine continuous fuels, it can sure run.
While the safety conditions were very good for Monday’s burn, when things are dry and windy the crews know they face real dangers.
Tony Brown, of the Nature Conservancy staff, will tell you it pays to keep a level head, Brown said, “When its gets a little sketchy, I guess you would say, you’ve gotta slow down, step back and take a breath."
They were all pleased with the results of the burn, but they get a lot of practice.
They burn ten thousand to fifteen thousand acres of the preserve every year.
Monday’s fire boss hopes more people will learn, the flames are part of our history.
Jeremy Tubbs said, "You get a lot of people who say, the land used to burn all the time. As a child, I used to watch the fires come through, or my grandfather used to burn and I think those people appreciate it.”
The fires and the preserve's bison combine to keep the land like it was 10,000 years ago.
The preserve staff said the flames don’t ad to pollution, because they increased growth of prairie vegetation, takes in more carbon monoxide than the flames give off."
