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Reimers Ranch prescribed burn follows lessons learned from Rolling Pines Fire
The conditions were right and once ignited, large sections of brush in Reimers Ranch were quickly consumed. The fires were set as part of a prescribed burn operation by the Travis County Parks Department.
TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas - The conditions were right and once ignited, large sections of brush in Reimers Ranch were quickly consumed. The fires were set as part of a prescribed burn operation by the Travis County Parks Department.
Park Land Manager Glen Gillman was the Burn Boss.
"This is not the only burn we’ve ever done here, in fact we’ve done 25 prescribed burns for 2,700 acres over the past 7 years," said Gillman.
The operation, known as the granite trail prescribed burn, targeted 70 acres in the park. Lines of fires are set by a team of more than 20 fire specialists. Flames flare up aided by the low humidity and light winds.
Throughout the day, an ugly burn scar continued to grow. Eventually vegetation will return, growing out of this charred earth, but with a lower wildfire threat.
"The fire isn’t what we are really here to do. What we are really here to do is see fire effects. We want to see the fire do things to the landscape that are positive. So we use fire much like you’d use a mower, a fertilizer of a chain saw, it’s a way we can groom the landscape in a way with a very inexpensive and powerful tool," said Gillman.
Prescribe burns have been known to get out of control, it happened recently in Bastrop County. That situation was very mindful in the planning of the burn.
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Rolling Pines Fire 100% contained after spanning more than 800 acres
This week, fire crews on scene are going to focus their efforts on the aftermath and go through the area extinguishing any hotspots that might flare-up.
The Rolling Pines Fire started on Jan. 18. after fire crews lost containment. About 250 families were evacuated and about 800 acres burned.
The formal review into what happened in Bastrop County has not yet been made public. For the Granite Trail Prescribed Burn at Reimers Ranch, it certainly provides a warning.
"The thing only thing that the Bastrop fire does for us is just re-enforce that our traditional and conservative approaches are consistent with what is prescribed burning," said Will Boettner with the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Boettner is also the county’s Wildfire Mitigation Officer. His job Wednesday was not limited to just watching the crews. "If I see some change in the weather occurring, then I immediately alert it to the Burn Boss."
The prescribed burn at Reimers Ranch is expected to continue Thursday. The focus then will be hot spots and eliminating piles of brush that were collected earlier in the week.
There was also another learning experience. A fire cadet class from Pflugerville was brought out to see wildfire fighting techniques and to work a line or two.
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MORE HEADLINES:
Rolling Pines Fire: Bastrop County fire evacuation order completely lifted
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