Prairie Burn Tips

It may look like hay to you, but this is a prairie patch...a garden or backyard spot planted with native grass and flowers. Uncontrolled fire is a danger to everyone, but you can burn a prairie planting to maintain its health. You just have to know how it's done. Choose a morning or early evening when the wind is low and humidity is high. And tell your fire department know ahead of time. Start with a good firebreak around the edge of the area you want to burn. Have good water sources close at hand and enough people to safely conduct the burn. They'll need firefighting tools like a hose, rakes, or a sprinkler bucket. Start the fire on the downwind side of the patch, and let it burn back into the wind. In a larger area like this, you can let the firebreak widen, then ring the fire to finish the job. If your planting is small and near a building, light just the edge nearest the structure and let it burn away from you.

http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/tv/hints/pr_burn.pdf
http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/tv/handyhints.asp

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• Prairie
• Burn
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• missouri
• conservation
• outdoors
• nature
• landowner
• prescribed
• burn