Burning by prescription in chaparral

Lisle R. Green

doi:10.2737/PSW-GTR-51

Treesearch

Burning by prescription in chaparral

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Lisle R. Green

Year:

1981

Type:

General Technical Report

Station:

Pacific Southwest Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2737/PSW-GTR-51

Source:

General Technical Report PSW-51. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 36 p

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Abstract

Prescribed burning is frequently suggested for reducing conflagration costs in chaparral. Preparation for a prescribed burn includes environmental impact reports, approval by higher levels of authority, and a burn plan. After objectives are stated, the prescription can be written. Elements of the burn prescription reflect fuel, weather, and other factors that determine fire behavior. Proportion of dead fuel, quantity of available fuel, live fuel moisture, topographic features, and chemical content can ail be considered prior to the burn date. Then the desired ranges of dead fuel moisture, relative humidity, windspeed and direction, air temperature, and time of day can be selected. Perimeter firing is commonly employed, after weather forecasts and locally collected weather data indicate prescription elements are acceptable and smoke management is not a problem. An important final step is burn evaluation.

Keywords

Prescribed burning, brushland burning, chaparral, fuel moisture content

Citation

Green, Lisle R. 1981. Burning by prescription in chaparral. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-51. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 36 p.