Burn notice. 1/8/2020

[dhagan]

https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/s960x960/81517917_2594778214137572_7639359162895302656_o.jp g?_nc_cat=103&_nc_ohc=QE4SuW_LD_oAQkJc5wTjUVMf7CQtyeI2r3MMY53ZDX QKVlAGHu6e8qHhA&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&_nc_tp=1&oh=48a45d00b4df244e683dc785b9a3314c&oe=5EAC333D

[Last Call]

Are these "controlled burns" beneficial or harmful? Almost every time I have walked thru one afterwards I see dead turtle shells. I would think they are decimating to the native animals.

[Tipi Walter]

Are these "controlled burns" beneficial or harmful? Almost every time I have walked thru one afterwards I see dead turtle shells. I would think they are decimating to the native animals.

I've been in a couple controlled burns over the years----as a backpacker of course---and they suck---unless you like living in smoke for several days---and enjoy gulping down gallons of polluted air. Now I carry this item on most of my trips---

https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/735025P/3mtm-particulate-respirator-8511-n95.jpg

[Venchka]

It depends.
Do you want a controlled burn?
Or an out of control burn?
The government tried suppressing wild fires. Look what happened in Yellowstone NP in 1988.
The turtles are still there.
Wayne

[Yellowhammer]

Short answer is they help. Long answer is it depends on what plants and animals you want to encourage. The long leaf pine ecosystem is adapted for fire.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RuthN]

Last year I set off for an overnight hike on the Lone Star Trail. I saw a huge cloud of smoke over the forest as soon as I got off the interstate, so I stopped in the ranger's office to find out what was going on. They were in fact doing a controlled burn but she told me the section I planned to hike was safe. The trail was blackened with soot and trees were scorched - it had obviously recently been burned. I was barely 1/4 mile in when I started seeing plumes of smoke from small fires here and there and reluctantly turned back after deciding I didn't want to take a chance. That evening I was watching the news and learned that a helicopter carrying crew who were assisting with the burn had crashed in the forest not too far from where I had been hiking. I'm really glad I turned back.

[Tipi Walter]

I backpacked the Naked Ground Trail (below pic) right after the big Maple Springs wildfire which torched and scorched several thousands acres in North Carolina in the Kilmer/Slickrock wilderness. This was around the same time as the terrible Gatlinburg wildfire. The fire climbed up the ridge and burned a bunch of land all the way up to 5,000+ feet.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Backpack-2017-Trips-79/19-Day-Quest-To-Scorch-Mountain/i-sthhCGn/0/72a92938/XL/TRIP%20181%20%28436%29-XL.jpg

[Tipi Walter]

I remember last March 2019 I was backpacking the BMT near Mud Gap and reached Whiggs Meadow in a cloud of smoke as the FS was pulling a couple burns in my area. It sucked!! Here I am atop Whiggs Meadow at 5,000 feet with the fire smoke chasing me off the mountain---

https://photos.smugmug.com/Backpack-2019-Trips-195-/24-Day-Expedition-to-Wildcat-Creek/i-gchmL3T/0/91d6cdbb/XL/Trip%20196%20%28262%29-XL.jpg

[zelph]

Controlled burns are beneficial/necessary, ask the
Aussies. They learned the hard way.