Fire Safety for Pasture Burning

By Oscar H. Will Iii
Updated on April 29, 2022
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by Greg Page
Well-timed and carefully managed fire will keep pastures and meadows productive.

It’s springtime, and in many rural areas that means it’s time to burn pastures and native prairie remnants to release nutrients, rid the area of built-up dry vegetation, set cool-season weedy species back a few notches, and kill invasive shrubs and trees. You might not realize it, but the vast grasslands of North America were once maintained naturally by hugely destructive events such as fire set by lightning strikes and trampling effects of huge herds of bison moving through. In more recent times, fire was used by Native people to help control brushy encroachment and ostensibly to improve forage productivity. According to various state extension service publications, controlled burning has been in use for thousands of years to keep grasslands thriving.

Although it is still scientifically accepted as an important native prairie management tool, and culturally accepted as an appropriate and useful pasture and hay meadow management tool in many regions, the closer upwind you are located to a dense urban area, the more pressure there is to limit or even ban the burn. In some areas, a burn every year is beneficial, while in others every three to four years may make more sense. Check with your local grassland experts for advice relevant to your area, and, of course, check to be sure that you can legally use fire as a management tool–and take great care to comply with all local regulations and notifications.

Preparation and strategy

It’s best to check with your local extension office for ideal burn dates. Months before your planned pasture burn, you will want to start thinking about your plan of attack and general burn strategy. Walk the area and identify any natural firebreaks and routes for runaway fires to escape, and locate all fence lines, power lines and any structures or areas where fire would have a disastrous affect. Pay close attention to your perimeter fence lines–let your neighbors know what you plan and accommodate their concerns. Draw a sketch of the area and make note of any areas where the fuel is particularly heavy, such as a patch of cedar trees that could burn hot and drop flaming debris where you do not want it.

Next, define a boundary 8 to 15 feet from the fence line, or other hypothetical line, beyond which you will not let the fire progress, and create firebreaks–minimally you should mow the vegetation close all the way around the area to be burned. Do this in the fall to minimize remaining fuel in the firebreak. Alternatively, you can disc or plow your firebreak. Take advantage of natural firebreaks like creeks, ponds, roadways, rock walls, etc., whenever practical to do so.

Once you have the boundaries worked out and the firebreaks in place, it’s time to begin gathering equipment and assembling your crew.

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