And this is why we are careful with fire…

[Derek Reese 29]

So it finally happened after a few small burns..had one get away fro me yesterday..took my weed torch up to the 2 food plots above my house and planned on just hitting the higher dead grass/weeds that I had left standing as a kind of break in between the 2 plots and at the top near the fence row..so I got them rolling in dead calm conditions and everything was going great..but then I got distracted by doing some seeding in the plot farthest away from the active fire (they are both only 1/2 acre, so not even out of eyesight). Wouldn’t you know it, the wind picked up to probably 15-20mph blowing right toward my “cover” field that I have just let go for the past 3 years and is full of small brush and old hay..that field caught like a tinder box and started heading towards my neighbor’s property. Once I saw I couldn’t stop it, I called in the pros (2 local fire depts). As I had expected, the fire stopped at the edge of my neighbor’s mowed yard (but there is a dry woods to the south and another strip similar to my now non-cover field close by about where that wind/fire were heading.) Very grateful for the fire dept’s quick response as they had the fire out inside a half hour and it only ended up burning about an acre. Also glad my neighbors are very laid back and weren’t really worried at all. All the fire guys were really nice and not judgemental…so for the future I will always have at minimum my 25 gallon sprayer with boom and at least 1 other person as well as checking the weather report instead of just thinking “oh hey it’s calm seems like a good day to burn” and will definitely not try to multitask…great way to start off my birthday weekend….

 

[Bill]

Glad that worked out well. Fire plain old scares me. I know the effects afterwards are awesome but I'm skeert unless it's really small

 

[T-Max]

Some important lessons learned at least. Glad it turned out okay. Fire is no joke as you found out. Chalk it up to experience and enjoy your birthday weekend!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Angus 1895]

When I just bought this place I set a fire…….

It was heading to the house…

I was whining,whipped, smoked out….

My wife…who told me not to light it..appeared…..

Saved the day.

 

[Gravel Road]

Glad it turned out okay! Fire can be so humbling, as when things go bad there's nothing a little homeowner sprayer can do. Wind can, and will change intensity and direction in a short period, and if the humidity and dew point is low, it seems like you can't put out anything for more than a few seconds before it reignites. I've seen brush trucks with thermal and all the bells and whistles struggle to put out a little line of fire when the conditions are poor.

 

[SwampCat]

I have burned tens of thosands of acres in my professional career. I let one on my own property get out and I havent burned since and not going to.

 

[buckdeer1]

Just wondering what water you had?I have a 50gal and a 25 gal sprayer in the ranger and if one fails I can switch to 25gal.Weatherunderground seems to be pretty good hour to hour.I also have a 50 gal high pressure from Northern Tool that I was going to use last year but due to faulty parts I just got rebuilt.If anyone gets one of these be sure to change out the straps and check length of supply hoses.

 

[buckdeer1]

I got burned out by a neighbor that moved to the country and it's like I say city folk move to the country and think they can burn trash and let their dogs run.I lost 9, 5 year old oaks 1/2 acre of sandhill plums and 1 20 year old cedar in the windbreak that I planted as a ft tall tree. Luckily I saw the page when it came out and started 3 departments and had wife have gate open when first truck got there.I didn't make them pay this time but there better not be a next time.I have seen insurance companies pay 600.00 per cedar trees that were around 10ft tall.

 

[hillrunner]

I rarely light a fire that I don't instantly regret. It always seems to do what i don't think it can.
I still burn but I hate it, I've seen too many get away. I have learned that an atv with a sprayer and boom is extremely effective at stopping a grass fire.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Just wondering what water you had?I have a 50gal and a 25 gal sprayer in the ranger and if one fails I can switch to 25gal.Weatherunderground seems to be pretty good hour to hour.I also have a 50 gal high pressure from Northern Tool that I was going to use last year but due to faulty parts I just got rebuilt.If anyone gets one of these be sure to change out the straps and check length of supply hoses.

I normally have a 25 gallon ATV sprayer with a boom and a wand, but did not have them up there as the spots I was planning to spray were maybe 5’ wide by 50’ long…until the fire got into the 1.5 acre fallow field…

 

[T-Max]

Please don’t let this discourage you from burning in the future. Again, important lessons learned. If nothing else, you are way better prepared now with just the knowledge of what can happen.

And you made the right call calling the department. That is what they are there for. Ideally we wouldn’t need to, but when you have to you have to. Maybe find out when their next training day is and bring donuts. They’d appreciate that and maybe you can pick their brains further for some tips.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tree Spud]

When I start the burn pile in the spring, I have my backpack sprayer on. It is usually the thatch that gets going and I pre-spray and then spray it as it burns.

Windy days are never a good day to burn no matter how prepared you are.

 

[Mortenson]

My neighbor chose a really wind day to burn his crp last spring. I think it must've been pretty intense. He sat down and died of a heart attack.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Glad you didn't have any more problems than you had, Derek. I'm not sure about this - but If you call the local fire dept. and let them know you want to burn, they may send a truck just as a precaution. I think any fire dept. would do that, as opposed to coming to a big runaway fire that becomes a much bigger problem. Maybe a phone call just to ask them about protocol?

You'll have lots of green growing where that fire was. That's a good thing!

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Glad you didn't have any more problems than you had, Derek. I'm not sure about this - but If you call the local fire dept. and let them know you want to burn, they may send a truck just as a precaution. I think any fire dept. would do that, as opposed to coming to a big runaway fire that becomes a much bigger problem. Maybe a phone call just to ask them about protocol?

You'll have lots of green growing where that fire was. That's a good thing!

Yeah in my area you are supposed to call the non-emergency number just so they are aware, so if anyone sees the smoke/fire they don’t call it in as out of control. The are I had intended to burn was so small I didn’t bother but in hindsight I’ll add it to the list of things to do right next time….

 

[buckdeer1]

Most states it's a law that you notify the proper authorities before burning and there are wind regs .Most FD won't send a truck to standby as it locks them in at that location.Main thing is to have liability insurance or you could lose the farm especially if it's a red flag day or you don't have a permit. I know of a couple wrecks caused by smoke on roadway from control burns and it cost them hundreds of thousands.You should always have a backup sprayer and back up plan.

 

[T-Max]

This is the stuff you dread right here. A fire from Friday spent the weekend here with sustained 30+ MPH winds traveling through some VERY rough country. At least one house was lost. Pretty shocking pictures floating around of that.

One home destroyed in Axelton Hill Road fire as multiple agencies continue to battle the blaze

Fire crews are providing support for a large wildfire in northern Riley County.

www.wibw.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I had one get away from me last spring, while it wasnt even a plan to burn, I did cause it. I had cleaned out my outdoor wood boiler into a small metal trailer 3 days prior, and it was calling for rain the next day, and I didnt want the ashes to turn to slime, so I figured I would empty the ashed in my food plot. Not thinking the ashes would still be hot after 3 days, I tossed a couple shovels full into my plot, and then noticed they were still hot, so I stopped, and kicked the ashes around a bit, then came back. I was outside for about a half hour, and I had to walk out to get the mail, and the hillside was on fire. It ended up burning a couple acres, I had called 911, and the DNR came out. I had fought it myself for a while, and was winning, but I was winded, and I couldnt be on all sides to watch it at the same time. They came with a D9 cat and dozed a path to it, and around it, I wasnt a fan of that, but its what they do. Anyhow, in the end, when I got the bill, I found out being the DNR is a state funded department, it was a lot cheaper that they came out, rather than fire departments. There was a dnr plane that circled the area for about a half hour, a semi with a D9 dozer, 3 fire wardens, and 2 other trucks with water tanks, for a couple hours, and it costed me about $350. I was told the fire department would have been upwards of $10,000.

Hope your area fire departments are different, or your insurance company will pay it.

 

[356]

For those in NW Missouri, the first meeting of the River North Prescribed Burn association is this Tuesday (April 9) at 6:30 pm in Ray County. For more information go to the River North facebook page.

 

[Westwind]

Years ago I had a brush pile burn get away from me. It was in a spot that it should never have made the jump but it did. Got into neighbors corn stubble. Corn stubble burns so hot I could hardly believe it. It is an understatement when I tell you it scared the hell out of me.