Controlled burn facts for kids
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A controlled burn (also called a prescribed fire) is a fire that people start on purpose. It is carefully managed and kept under control by trained experts. These experts use special tools and wait for the right weather conditions. Controlled burns help the environment and make areas safer for people.
This type of fire is different from a practice fire. Firefighters might start a practice fire in an old building that will be torn down. They use it to learn how to safely enter a burning building and put out fires. Controlled burns, however, are always done outdoors in places like forests or wide-open prairies.
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Why We Do Controlled Burns
There are several important reasons why controlled burns happen.
Making Areas Safer
Sometimes, a forest or field can have too much dry wood and dead plants. This dry material is like fuel for a fire. If an uncontrolled fire started there (maybe from lightning or an accident), it could become very dangerous. It could spread quickly and cause a lot of damage.
By having trained people carefully burn these dry materials, the fire stays small and cool. This helps prevent much bigger, hotter, and more dangerous wildfires from starting later. It's like cleaning up the forest floor to keep everyone safe.
Helping Nature Grow
Controlled burns also help nature in many ways. Some plants actually need fire for their seeds to open and start growing. Certain animals prefer to live in areas that have been recently burned. Fire can also help get rid of unwanted plants or weeds.
When plants burn, the ash left behind acts like a quick fertilizer. It returns important nutrients to the soil. This helps new plants grow strong and healthy.
Clearing Land for People
Sometimes, controlled burns are done to help people. They can clear away thick brush, making it easier to see and move around. Long ago, hunter-gatherer people would use fire to guide animals into certain areas for hunting. This practice is not common anymore.
How Controlled Burns Work
To understand how to control a fire, remember the fire triangle. A fire needs three things: fuel (like wood), oxygen (from the air), and heat. If you remove just one of these, the fire will go out.
To keep a controlled burn in its planned area, firefighters can remove oxygen by smothering the fire. They can also spray water to remove the heat. The fire will also stop when it runs out of fuel to burn.
Starting the Fire Safely
Usually, a "back fire" is started first. This fire burns slowly against the wind. It's a smaller, safer fire that is easier to control. It's often started next to a "fire break." A fire break is a natural barrier like a trail or a stream, or a path dug by people. This barrier stops the fire from spreading too far.
After the back fire is burning steadily, a "head fire" is started. This fire burns with the wind, so it moves much faster and hotter. When the head fire reaches the back fire, it runs out of fuel because the back fire has already burned everything. This makes the fire stop safely.
Tools for Controlled Burns
The tools used can change depending on the team doing the burn. But here are some common ones:
- Drip torch: This tool starts the fire. It drips flaming fuel onto the grass as a person walks along.
- Water sprayer: This is usually a backpack with water. Firefighters can spray water onto the fire to keep it within the planned area.
- Flapper: This is a wide piece of rubber on a handle. It can be "flapped" onto small flames to put them out.
- Shovel: A shovel can be used to dig up dirt. This helps create a fire break that the fire cannot cross.
Images for kids
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A prescribed fire in a ponderosa pine forest in eastern Washington, United States. This helps keep the forest healthy.
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Starting a fire in a South Carolina forest using a special drip torch mounted on an ATV. It quickly lights up the dry leaves.
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A controlled burn in a Pinus nigra forest in Portugal.
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Controlled burning of a field near Statesboro, Georgia, United States. This is done to prepare the land for planting in the spring.
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An aerial view of a controlled burn in Helderberg Nature Reserve in South Africa. This helps keep the natural fynbos plants healthy and reduces future fire risks.
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A pile of cut wood being burned in a controlled way.
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Muirburn (a type of controlled burn) in Appletreewick, Yorkshire Dales. You can see an area that was burned earlier on the left.
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Fire crews in Northern California starting a backfire. This helps stop a larger wildfire (the Poomacha fire) from spreading.
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See also
In Spanish: Quema prescrita para niños
