19 April 2008<br/>
Day Road, Pomfret, CT<br/>
Prescribed Burn / Forest Fire Drill<br/>
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This is part of an extensive tract of land owned by the Audobon Society in Pomfret, and actively managed for habitat diversity.  Adjoing and/or in close proximity are also numerous parcels owned by the Wyndam Land Trust as well as State Park and State Forest lands.<br/>
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This section of the property was a dairy farm until the 1960s, and afterwards the Williams family leased the cropland to other farmers while developing a network of trails and wildlife improvements prior to selling the land to Audobon.  While Audobon manages much of it's land to be meadows, these fields remain working lands, with a rotation of 3 years corn and 5 years alfalfa.<br/>
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This grove of trees is very unusual ecotype in my part of New England -- pitch pines!  Pitch pines are adapted to fire, with it estimated pine barrens would burn on average every 2 to 10 years prior to modern fire suppression.  One unusual adaptation of pitch pines is they will start to produce seed only 3 years after re-sprouting from stumps, or 10 years as a seedling.  More information can be found at the Nature Conservancy: http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/connecticut/work/art8637.html<br/>
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Picture is of the south side of the grove.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190025_small.jpg" /><br/>
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Hmmm, propane weed burner.  Don't find many drip torches out here.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190030_small.jpg" /><br/>
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Pomfret is one of the few fire departments around that does issue wildland coats & helmets.  Members provide their own jeans and workboots.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190035_small.jpg" /><br/>
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Water supply was one of the ponds on the property.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190046_small.jpg" /><br/>
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Burning out the tall grass on the southeast side of the fire.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190051_small.jpg" /><br/>
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Sequence of shots from a the base of a snapped off tree.  These pitch pines are probably reaching their natural old age -- several had been snapped by wind.  Fire suppresses other species, while encouraging pitch pine<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190070_small.jpg" /><br/>
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<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190078_small.jpg" /><br/>
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Hmmm, I see a little fire up high...<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190087_small.jpg" /><br/>
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Ayup!  That's kind of a cool sequence that shows how smaller fuels on the forest floor kindled larger logs, and those logs got the base of previously broken tree going.  In areas that might be a little bit denser, this could then spread to the crown.  Or at the very least be putting out embers for an extending time, being blown far by the wind.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190092_small.jpg" /><br/>
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Chainsaw?  Who needs chainsaws when you have old farmboys?<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190109_small.jpg" /><br/>
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<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190110_small.jpg" /><br/>
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Bringing the line around.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190128_small.jpg" /><br/>
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Here is some wetting down with just plain water...<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190152_small.jpg" /><br/>
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And with the foam turned on.  Absolutely amazes me every time I see just how quickly the foam puts stuff out compared to plain water.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190160_small.jpg" /><br/>
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Couple shots of the tumble down barn that went with this property.  It succumbed this past winter to years of structural neglect.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190167_small.jpg" /><br/>
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<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/19_April_2008_Pomfret_Day_Road_Prescribed_Burn/P4190174_small.jpg" /><br/>
Why Watermarks on some pictures?<br/>
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