Article Display

Fight fire with fire

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. John Gordinier
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  A group of seven people set fire to parts of the Poinsett Electronic Combat Range for wildfire protection Jan. 15.

"We burned approximately 52 acres on the southern end of the north target array," said Julie Hovis, 20th CES endangered species manager.

The fire is called a prescribed fire, or controlled burn, and according to South Carolina Forestry Commission literature, fire in the hands of a skilled professional can be a very effective natural resource management tool.

The 20th Civil Engineer Squadron Environmental Flight periodically performs prescribed fires at the Poinsett Electronic Combat Range between December and March.

"Our main objectives for this prescribed fire is fuel reduction and to provide training for the 20th CES Fire Department," Ms. Hovis said.

The "fuel" is a collection of grass, twigs and pine needles, which are burned to prevent wildfires in the future.

"If there is little fuel, there can only be a little fire," Ms. Hovis said. "If we let the fuel accumulate, sooner or later a wildfire could break out and cause massive damage."

"If the fire does not burn as planned, firefighters will extinguish the fire and we will come back another day to try again," Ms. Hovis said.

A prescribed fire requires a lot of planning and preparation, said Jimmy Davis, 20th CES prescribed fire manager. Guidelines considered during the planning phase include the reason for the burn, wind direction and speed, location, humidity, drought index and terrain type.

Prior to the burn at the range, authorization from the South Carolina Forestry Commission must be attained, Ms. Hovis said. Then, the Sumter County Fire Department and surrounding neighbors, to include the Manchester State Forest and Poinsett State Park, are notified so they aren't alarmed when they see smoke.

For every controlled burn, safety is the No. 1 issue, Mr. Davis said. The skilled professionals spend most of the time planning the burn, and then they wait for the proper weather. If the weather isn't perfect, they try again at a later time.