Prescribed burn lights up Cougar Peak and Graves Creek
<p>Bau Dobberstein and Rocky Wagoner refill the 55-gallon drum which hung beneath the helicopter. The heli-torch was used to light the prescribed burn.</p>
The Forest Service engaged in a prescribed burn on Tuesday near Thompson Falls. The burn was part of an on-going land management effort to minimize the amount of fuels available in the event of a wildfire event.
The 500 acre burn took place below Cougar Peak along Graves Creek and was supervised by Burn Boss trainee Ryan Butler.
Due to the rugged terrain of the land chosen for the burn, firefighters on the ground played a support role while the fire itself was set by helicopter. Called a “heli-torch,” the aircraft utilized a special rig that hung below it consisting of a 55-gallon drum full of fuel and a mechanism controlled by the pilot to release a stream of flame onto the forest below.
The helicopter made multiple passes along the lateral edge of the steep mountainside before returning to the landing space to refuel. Forest Service Ranger Randy Hojem said the methods used were similar to previous intentional burns set by firefighters around Sanders County.
“The technique is similar to a prescribed burn set by hand, we just use a helicopter for safety reasons. We start at the top of the ridge and burn a section and then move below to start a new section. That way the fire can’t get out of control because there is no more fuel to burn,” said Hojem.
The method prevents the fire from racing uncontrolled up the side of the mountain. By burning section after section moving gradually down the ridge, as the fire moves upward to a previously burned area, there is no more fuel and the blaze dies down.
Firefighters on the ground were stationed at strategic points to prevent the fire from moving outside the established boundaries for the burn. The Forest Service has been engaged in fire management for over 100 years. Prescribed burns are set to control the amount of fuel available in the event of an unintentional wildfire.
While the damage done to established trees is typically minimal, prescribed fire is designed to benefit the land by restoring the ecosystem. Prescribed fire can reduce stress on trees from overcrowding and also reduce the amount of flammable, hazardous fuels.
Ranger Hojem said, “The burns went very well. Given the weather, they continued to smoke for a few days but overall they went well.”