Making fire breaks

Burn season is almost upon us and among other things we spent yesterday making fire breaks for our first burn: the south-facing slope.

We have a permanent fire break at the top of the hill, which needs little work, and Pleasant Valley Road serves as the break at the bottom. But we need a break at each end of the slope. Susan, Megan, and Amanda did those breaks yesterday. Susan and Megan ran two brush cutters and Amanda followed along with the leaf blower and cleared off all the debris.


The photo shows them just starting at the bottom of the hill. They went all the way to the top, where they connected to the permanent break. Then they went to the other end of the hill and made the break that runs up around the quarry, along the ridge trail, and up to the top of the hill where it joins the permanent break at the other end.

In the afternoon, Amanda and Megan used the brush cutter and leaf blower to clear around dead snags and living fire-sensitive birches on the whole south slope.

We plan to do the south slope burn next week, weather permitting.