Tulsa District trains personnel on prescribed burn

Photo By Preston Chasteen | The Fort Gibson Project office hosted a training class March 1-5, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for conducting prescribed fire on government lands. Fifteen USACE park rangers and maintenance staff from seven USACE Civil works Projects attended the training. As part of the training the class conducted eight prescribed burns over three days, burning a total of 1,485 acres of USACE and Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation managed lands. The five-day training session included instruction in safety, fire, laws, smoke management, field preparation, planning, fire effects, fire behavior, ignition devices, ignition techniques, execution of fire plans, fire weather, fire and wildland/interface, fire ecology and effects on wildlife, as well as a final written test. (U.S. Army photo by Preston L. Chasteen)  

UNITED STATES

03.15.2021

Story by Preston Chasteen 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District

The Fort Gibson Project office hosted a training class March 1-5, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for conducting prescribed fire on government lands.

The class was taught by fire ecologist Mr. John Weir of the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Oklahoma State University with assistance from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Biologists Stacy Dunkin and Jason Person.

The five-day training session included instruction in safety, fire, laws, smoke management, field preparation, planning, fire effects, fire behavior, ignition devices, ignition techniques, execution of fire plans, fire weather, fire and wildland/interface, fire ecology and effects on wildlife, as well as a final written test.

In addition to class-room instruction the class received field training on the proper use of fire equipment including hand tools and sprayer pumps.

“The most beneficial aspect of the training was the hands-on application of techniques and training,” stated Dunkin. “Allowing participants to conduct prescribed fire in conjunction with classroom instruction reinforced the ideas and techniques to improve the learning experience.”

As part of the training the class conducted eight prescribed burns over three days, burning a total of 1,485 acres of USACE and Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation managed lands.

“This training was effective in teaching participants in the safe and proper application of prescribed fire to meet land management goals,” stated Dunkin. “I will definitely recommend that this class be repeated annually district wide and future classes could serve as a refresher for previous attendees and initial training for newly hired employees.”

In addition to fulfilling regulation requirements participants were exposed the ecological benefits of land management using prescribed fire.

Fifteen USACE park rangers and maintenance staff from seven USACE Civil works Projects attended the training.

Story by Stacy Dunkin and Preston Chasteen

• Date Taken: 03.15.2021
• Date Posted: 03.15.2021 11:28
• Story ID: 391397
• Location: US