Goldilocks and burn bosses have something in common, they like things “just right.” May 7, 2008 wasn’t too wet and wasn’t too dry. That day, fire managers safely completed Shenandoah National Park’s largest, most complex burn. The 282-acre project’s goal was to help oaks and table mountain pines thrive.
The first planned date, March 27, the woods were too wet. On April 17, the woods and the air were too dry. On May 7, conditions were good, finally within prescription. Holding forces went into place and igniters began their work. Fire crept on the ground, burst out in bushes and torched entire pine trees. Flame cleared out some seedbeds and opened up sections of the canopy, which should be especially good for the Appalachian native, table mountain pine. There was a good mix of burn severity across the area.
During the burn, firefighter and public safety were paramount. A pilot car guided motorists on the park’s Skyline Drive around the unit when necessary. A few miles of the drive were closed overnight and then reopened in the morning. Because the unit included a section of the Appalachian Trail, park staff shuttled hikers around the temporarily closed section. Firefighters also successfully protected a three-sided hiking shelter, a camping site and a privy.
It took cooperation to complete the project. Joining forces for success were employees from Shenandoah National Park and nearby National Park Service sites in the Northeast and National Capital Regions, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Grottoes Volunteer Fire Department and the Dooms Volunteer Fire Company.
Contact: Barb Stewart, Fire Communication and Education Specialist
Phone: (434) 220-9065
*This story supports the National Fire Plan |
