Wildfire

[SWRhodd]

Yesterday I noticed some smoke up towards my in-laws property south of Mangum and was on my way to check it out and not even a mile down the road when my father-in-law called and said it was on the property. So I doubled back and got the sprayer filling so my father-in-law can come get while I loaded up the bulldozer.
Got up there and tthere were fire trucks everywhere and from every volunteer fire department in a 40 mile radius. When we got there the county had 4 road graders go on our property to cut fire breaks. They did manage to get the fire out but about 80% of 400 acres of our property burnt up. But hopefully we get some rain this year to help it recover. But one of their hut got burnt up in the fire but all the feeders and other stands survived.
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/SWRhodd/20150209_133357_zps13a45390.jpg[IMG]
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The fire didn't start on our property, it started somewhere on the Salt Fork and burned somewhere around 1000-1500 acres. And today my wife went back up to look around and noticed some smoldering on the neighboring property and went to investigate that an area was burning still and that there was a quick attack truck there but ran out of water and went to get more but an abandoned barn didn't make it.

[IMG]http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/SWRhodd/20150209_140101_zpsa9820b7d.jpg[IMG]

 

[Oklahomabassin]

It is that time of year.
Many people see the weather "right now" and light up. 2 hours later or the next day the wind gets up or changes directions and it gets out of hand. Some brush piles will have glowing embers for days. Wind can blow those hot embers out a long ways.

 

[Okie4570]

I spent some time down that way last fall, pretty crunchy and dry. Altus-Lugert Lake was pretty sad looking.

 

[SWRhodd]

Ya, Lugert is pretty bad off. It had a golden algae bloom last year and killed off most of the fish. Hopefully we get some good rain this year.

 

[dennishoddy]

Its controlled burn time, but that one got out of hand.

 

[dennishoddy]

sounds like you made out. a lot properties need to be burned off. some native grasses need the fire to open the seed pods. it helps clear underbrush and overgrowth while making the property less prone to immediate future burning. watch the areas on the highway that get burned from careless cigarettes. the grass greens up much sooner than the rest. hate that it got out of control, but you may have better hunting ground for a while. at Lexington, the turkeys were all over the burn areas when they greened up.

I see the Noble Foundation is now offering Controlled Burn Insurance.

I would advise using it.

 

[p238shooter]

Had a control burn in my area that got away yesterday that took three local FD's to get it under control. Wind switched directions this morning and it started up again today and they had to come back. Virtually impossible to put out the embers from dead logs and under brush if it is not cleaned out yearly.

Glad no one or their home was damaged. It is that time of year for a couple more months until most everything greens up.

 

[Okie4570]

Lot of I's to dot and T's to cross in the bold portion below, that 99% of landowners won't want to do I'm thinking.

https://www.noble.org/ag/wildlife/prescribed-burn-insurance/

New prescribed burn insurance protects landowners
By Russell Stevens
Liability has always been a concern for landowners using or considering the use of prescribed fire. Surveyed landowners report liability as one of the major reasons they do not use prescribed fire in their property management. Knowing that prescribed fire is as important to most operations as grazing, rest, rain and sunshine, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, the Oklahoma Prescribed Burn Association, and The Bramlett Agency worked together to address this issue for landowners.

The Bramlett Agency, through Midlands Management, is now offering Prescribed Burn Insurance - a property and casualty liability program with Essex Insurance Company, who holds a security rating of A XIV (14) (A = Excellent, XIV (14) = numeric rating of size of company with 15 being the largest). This policy protects landowners or lessees implementing prescribed fire against claims for any damage on someone else's property. A home or farm and ranch policy does not cover damage on other property. This policy provides up to $1 million in general liability coverage.

The cost for the policy is $500 per policy year and covers two prescribed burns. Coverage for additional burns during the policy year can be purchased for $250 per burn. For the policy to be issued and take effect, landowners must:

- Follow all federal, state, and local statues and ordinances.

- Adhere to requirements in "Notification Requirements and Considerations for Safe and Lawful Prescribed Burning in Oklahoma: Guidelines, State Law and the Burning Notification Plan," available through the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Forestry Services.

- Develop and adhere to a prescribed burn plan containing at least the following:

Directions to the burn unit and a map of the unit.
Plant communities and topography (if a concern) in burn unit.
Goals or objectives for burn.
Firebreak type(s).
Fire boss and fire crew.
Equipment needed.
Protection of fire sensitive locations within burn unit.
Smoke management plan.
Civil authority and neighbor notification procedures, and applicable permits.
Burn dates and times.
Fine fuel types and estimated fuel loads.
Relative humidity and air temperature thresholds.
Wind direction(s) and speed limitations.
Ignition procedures, contingency plans for escaped fires, changes in wind or humidity, equipment breakdown, and personnel injury.
Mop up and monitoring procedures.
Records of forecasts examined prior to starting the burn, and records of actual conditions at the start and end of burn to be attached to the burn plan.
It is important to note that, for insurance purposes, a prescribed burn plan is required in addition to the "burning notification plan" requirements in Oklahoma's prescribed burning law (plans are to modify this policy for other states soon). The prescribed burn plan will be required before insurance can be purchased and the insurance will cover only the burn detailed in the plan. In addition to the landowner or lessee, each crew member listed in the burn plan will also be covered.

For more information on prescribed burn insurance, contact Leslie Kutz, business risk advisor with The Bramlett Agency at (580) 223-7300. For information on prescribed fire and developing a burn plan, contact the Noble Foundation, Oklahoma State University, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Oklahoma Prescribed Burn Association or the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. A prescribed burn plan template can be obtained from the Noble Foundation, OPBA or NRCS.

These procedures may sound daunting to some at first, but, given a little thought, they do not require an excessive amount of time and are necessary to the successful and safe application of prescribed fire. It's not rocket science, it's just a process.

 

[dennishoddy]

Yeah, the regs are pretty strict for the insurance.

I will be burning this month, but green wheat 4" tall doesn't burn well outside of the burn area.

 

[meatGrinder]

at Lexington, the turkeys were all over the burn areas when they greened up.

I noticed that too.