In an effort to preserve the ‘Tallgrass Communities’ which are also known as tallgrass prairies and savannas, the government has approved forest fires.
The fires have been approved to help in aiding the survival of the Oak Ridges Moraine which is considered one of the rarest ecosystems in the world, located just east of Toronto. Because these plants need a temperature rise to get root stimulus, a carefully orchestrated environmental project has been put together to aid in their survival.
When working with fire, it would be expected that extreme precision is required when putting such a plan into motion. The fire intensity is regulated and should be about 500 kilowatts per meter square. The ‘Prescription for Burning’ includes the essential factors that must be known and taken into consideration before beginning.
The factors that must be known are:
A circle of propellant, which is a 3-1 ration of diesel to gas, is laid out encompassing the area scheduled to be burned. This mixture is used because it allows the fire to ignite easily and is not explosive because of the diesel. The fire is lit in a thin strip inside a brake line, which is a clearing in the surrounding wildlife. Getting the full circle lit requires quick work. The flames move at a meter a second and can reach up to the height of a 3 story building. Once the entire circle is lit it closes and has no option but to burn inwards, extinguishing itself once reaching the middle. This takes usually no longer than an hour. Afterwards any remaining flames are sought out an extinguished and require a very little amount of water.
Without this process the prairies of savanna would disappear. Only 1/3 of the plant is above ground, the other 2/3 is below so the fire works to both stimulate growth and to remove nonnative plants from the area. Within a week there will be new growth in the area and healthier progression for the plants initially residing there. This necessary procedure is certainly a twist from what one would normally expect to sustain our environment.
