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Pinedale Online > News > October 2006 > Monument Ridge Prescribed Burn

Burning understory. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
Burning understory
Fire crews burn the understory as part of creating a "black line" along the burn perimiter in the days before the big interior burn.

"The Game & Fish were one of the drivers of this project" - Paul Hutta, Fire Boss in training.

Prescribed Burn Today. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Prescribed Burn Today
Signs were posted on roads leading into the area to warn hunters of the burn.

Smoke and fog. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Smoke and fog
A sign on Highway 191 warns drivers of the possibility of smoke and fog.

Water tank. Photo by T.J. Hunt.
Water tank
Crews set up a portable water tank for the hoses. Photo courtesy T.J. Hunt.
Monument Ridge Prescribed Burn
by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online!
October 1, 2006

"The fuels are building up on this forest," said Paul Hutta with the Bridger-Teton National Forest. "We are going to see more, bigger fires. The stands are more prone to fire now," Hutta said.

Paul Hutta was the Fire Boss In-Training for the Monument Ridge prescribed burn which took place this past weekend near Bondurant. The fire has been in the planning stages for the past six years. "We don’t always get a burn window every year," said Hutta.

This fall the conditions were right to go forward with burning 975 acres of sagebrush, aspen and conifer stands on Monument Ridge, approximately three miles west of Bondurant on the Big Piney Ranger District.

The purpose of the fire was to reduce the build up of fuels on the ground that could contribute to increasing the intensity of a wildfire in the future. Other goals were to eliminate decadent stands of sagebrush and conifers to allow new growth vegetation that will benefit wildlife species. The burn will also improve forage in the cattle allotment in the area.

"The Wyoming Game and Fish Department were one of the drivers of this project," said Hutta. Over the next several years, more work is planned for the Monument Ridge project area, ultimately treating approximately 4,000 total acres over sevral phases.

The burn was an interagency effort. Approximately 60 people worked on various aspects of the project getting ready for the actual burn.

Crews worked during the summer clearing brush and ladder fuels to prep the interior of the burn area. When the conditions looked favorable this past weekend, the decision was made that the burn was a go.

Forest Service firefighters were joined by Sublette County volunteer firemen and equipment from Bondurant, Daniel, Boulder and Pinedale. The Alpine Hotshots came from Estes Park, Colorado, to assist with this fire. Crews from Grand Teton National Park/Bridger-Teton Natioanl Forest Teton Interagency Fire Management and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department also worked on this fire.

"These prescribed fires give us a chance to put our people in the situation so they know what to expect and how to deal with a real fire," said T.J. Hunt, Sublette County Deputy Fire Warden.

Firefighters who helped out from the Sublette County volunteer fire departments included: T.J. Hunt (Deputy Assistant County Fire Warden-Daniel), Justin Kaan (Boulder), Jerry Johnson (Bondurant), Eric Schneider (Bondurant), Travis Chamberlain (Pinedale), Loren Racich (Daniel, Oakley Engersull (Daniel), Richard Thomas (Bondurant), Larry Otterman (Boulder), Richard Taos (Fire Chief for Bondurant).

After the burn, Fire Boss Paul Hutta had this to say about the overall success of this prescribed fire, "Overall it was a real successful burn. We got a good mosaic in the sage and grass and reduced the dead and down fuel in the conifer stands, which helped us to meet our hazardous fuels reduction objective as well."
_______________________________________

Editor's Note: We want to pass along this comment that came from T.J. Hunt, the Sublette County Deputy Fire Warden, commenting on the efforts of the many volunteers who volunteer their time to be on our rural fire departments, and go out on calls on a moment's notice. "We had a big season this year," said Hunt. "We have 110 volunteer firefighters in Sublette County. We pretty much do mostly wildland fire suppression, and we're always looking for help. I want to give special kudos to Ben Franklin with the Daniel Volunteer Fire Department for completing his Strike Team Leader training and to the new Kendall Valley Volunteer Fire Department for the work they did on the Battle Mountain fire this summer. All those guys have done an excellent job."

Photos by Clint Gilchrist and Dawn Ballou-Pinedale Online. US Forest Service, and Paul Ellwood-Bondurant resident.



Related Links
  • Bridger-Teton National Forest
  • Wyoming Game & Fish Department

  • Dwayne Gibbons. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
    Dwayne Gibbons
    Dwayne Gibbons, Engine Foreman with the Bridger-Teton National Forest Greys River Ranger District Engine 31, explains how the crews will work putting in the "black line" around the burn area.

    Monument Ridge Trail Sign. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Monument Ridge Trail Sign
    Monument Ridge trail sign.

    Putting in the black line. Photo by Paul Ellwood.
    Putting in the black line
    Fire crews put in the "black line" around the treatment area perimeter. Photo courtesy Paul Ellwood.

    Bondurant. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Bondurant
    The prescribed burn was near the small community of Bondurant, located between Pinedale and Jackson Hole along Highway 191.

    Black Line. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
    Black Line
    Crews burn a strip along the treatment area perimeter to create a black zone buffer in preparation for the larger burn.

    Putting in the black line. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
    Putting in the black line
    The first two days of the fire was spent with hand crews creating a “black line” burned out strip along the fire perimeter. The burned out strip served as a buffer between the larger interior fire and the area outside the prescribed burn perimeter.

    Checking the hose lay. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
    Checking the hose lay
    A fire crew member checks the hose lay in preparation for the black line burn stage.

    Burning out the brush. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
    Burning out the brush
    Fire crews burned out the brush along the fire treatment area to create a fire break.

    Wetting down the fireline. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Wetting down the fireline
    Crews used the hoses to wet down areas ahead of the flames to make sure the fire didn't get outside the designated burn area.

    Torching Willows. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
    Torching Willows
    A willow bush torches during the black line burnout preparation burn.

    Tracy Stull. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
    Tracy Stull
    Both men and women serve on the fire crews. Tracy Stull helped with the burn.

    Putting in the burn buffer. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
    Putting in the burn buffer
    Crews carefully ignite the brush along the perimeter of the treatment area to create a burned out buffer strip.

    Fall firefighters. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
    Fall firefighters
    Fire crews move along the fireline to help with the burn efforts.

    Moving gas cans. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
    Moving gas cans
    A fireman moves the gas cans up the fireline ahead of the burn.

    Ping Pong Machine. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
    Ping Pong Machine
    Bill Moe and Mark Oetzman, with Teton Interagency Fire, explain the ping pong aerial dispersal machine.

    PSD Helicopter Crew. Photo by US Forest Service.
    PSD Helicopter Crew
    PSD (Plastic Sphere Dispenser) helicopter crew: Bill Moe, Mark Oetzman and the helicopter pilot. The Forest Service used a contract fire helicopter that was outfitted with specially designed device that dispensed ping pong balls which contained fire-starting chemicals.

    Ping Pong test. Photo by US Forest Service.
    Ping Pong test
    The ping pong balls are tested by igniting them in a bucket before the fire crew heads up in the helicopter. USFS photo.

    Helicopter takes off. Photo by USFS.
    Helicopter takes off
    The fire crew takes off in the helicopter to start the ping pong drop to light the interior burn. For safety's sake, everyone is cleared out of the burn area for this stage. "Using the helicopter, we can do more in a short amount of time. What would take days and days with hand crews. It’s safer and more cost-effective," said helitack crewman Bill Moe with Teton Interagency Fire Management (TIFM) out of Jackson Hole. “We don’t push the safety envelope, ever.”

    Dropping ping pong ball igniters. Photo by USFS.
    Dropping ping pong ball igniters
    The helicopter works the interior of the burn area igniter balls. The helicopter used for this prescribed burn also worked on the Purdy, Battle Mountain and Jim Creek fires on the Pinedale Ranger District this past summer. Helitack crews have years of special training to do aerial ignition and initial attack firefighting duties. USFS photo.

    Checking the hoses. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Checking the hoses
    A fire crew person checks the hoselines along the burn perimeter.

    Moving fuel cans. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Moving fuel cans
    Crews shift further up the fireline ahead of the flames. Fire managers carefully monitor wind conditions and other factors to make sure conditions are as controlled as possible for the burn.

    Alpine Hotshots. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Alpine Hotshots
    The Alpine Hotshots were a National Park Service crew from Estes Park, Colorado. "This was an interagency effort," said Bridger-Teton National Forest Public Information Officer Nan Stinson.

    Fire crew camp. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Fire crew camp
    Crews working the fire slept in tents near the burn area so they wouldn't have to spend time traveling. The helicopter pilot and fuel truck were located out of the trailer. "These prescribed fires give us a chance to put our people in the situation so they know what to expect and how to deal with it," said T.J. Hunt, Sublette County Deputy Fire Warden. "We use these fires to train our future fire folks. Our big thing is mostly wildland fire suppression. More people are moving into the wildland urban interface."

    Bondurant Fire Crew. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
    Bondurant Fire Crew
    T.J. Hunt (Sublette County Deputy Fire Warden from Daniel) and Richard Thomas (Fire Chief for the Bondurant VFD), help out using Bondurant fire trucks shuttling water to fill the portable water tanks up on the fireline. "We support the Bridger-Teton’s management decisions on wildland fire use fires and prescribed fires," said Sublette County Deputy Fire Warden T.J. Hunt. "We work really well together. We help them out and in return, they help us out and share their helicopters with us when we need them."
    Pinedale Online > News > October 2006 > Monument Ridge Prescribed Burn

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