Why The Forest Must Burn
“After 15 years of massive and severe blazes that have blackened landscape and choked the community with smoke for weeks at a time, severely disrupting people’s lives and the local [...]
Today’s the day! The staging area is bustling with activity. Fire engines, water tenders, and fire professionals begin to assemble. The Burn Boss, hard at work since early in the morning, finalizes burn day preparations, confirming conditions in the forest, weather, smoke dispersion forecasts, and relaying plans to forest managers, fire personnel, and the public to ensure all the moving parts of a safe and successful prescribed fire are in place.
Throughout the day, the Burn Boss coordinates with the Firing Boss, Holding Boss, and Fire Effects Monitor to direct fire personnel to apply fire carefully across the unit, keep the fire contained within the control lines, and make necessary adjustments based on observations of fire behavior and fire effects.
The Burn Boss may also choose to utilize personnel in strategic locations near the prescribed fire, such as roads or trailheads, to share information with curious or concerned community members.
