Fire has long been an ecologically important factor in Texas, and more recently landowners and wildlife managers have been using prescribed burns as an effective wildlife and habitat management technique. Currently, a prescribed burn workshop is accepting applications for participants interested in learning more about prescribed fire. The course teaches attendees how to use prescribed fire as a tool for land management. The participant will gain an understanding of fire effects and how to use fire in a safe manner to accomplish certain habitat management objectives.
In addition, the course combines lecture, group discussion, teamwork, individual projects and field work to increase each student’s knowledge of fire weather, fire behavior, physical properties and characteristics of fuels, and the effects of fire on habitat, wildlife and soils. Students will become aware of the risks associated with prescribed burning, including smoke risks and the risk of fire escape. Laws pertaining to the use of prescribed fire and their influence on a burn manager’s planning and decisions will be explained.
So, what exactly will you take away from this prescribed burn course? Upon completion of the course, a student should be able to recognize different fuel models important for rangeland burning. The student should have the ability to determine fuel load and reliably estimate live and dead fuel moisture, as well as fire rate of spread and flame length. The individual should have acquired an introductory knowledge of the use of fire equipment for ignition and suppression. Each student will have developed a fire prescription, addressing multiple variables, to meet specific land management objectives, and will have created a prescribed burn plan that includes the use of natural and artificial fire breaks.
This prescribed fire course meets the minimum training requirements set forth by the Texas Prescribed Burning Board for the Certified Prescribed Burn Manager program. (Texas Administrative Code; Title 4; Part 13; Chapter 228). Five CEU’s/day (Mon-Thurs) are available for current Certified Burn Managers. Visit this site for more information on registering for the prescribed fire class.
Prescribed burning techniques have been around for years. The only thing here in Alabama is a lot of people have stopped doing it due to the cost effect of working a burn. Not having the rght equipment here will make you loose more than what you are trying to get rid of. Great article though and wish I could get into one of these courses.