HOMETOWN LIVING AT I TS BEST 61
Marylou’s work on the fire crew also
involves reducing “heavy fuel loads that
have accumulated from fire suppression.”
Reducing these fuel loads decreases the
risk of catastrophic wildfire while also
improving forest health. “If a fire breaks
out in a place that has been suppressed,”
said Marylou, “it can not only be difficult
to put out, but detrimental to the habitat.
You have to reintroduce fire to the system
in a really well thought out and executed
way. For example, if it’s an area with large
pine trees that you want to preserve, we
burn following a time when we’ve had a
lot of rain so that only the top layer of
litter is burned. This will be done every
couple of years until you get to the point
where you don’t have to baby it so much
because the trees roots have regrown into
the soil, rather than up in the
litter layer.”
Fire crews in Georgia
typically work in teams of
four to six people. Burns are
planned per unit of land,
which can be anywhere from
ten to a couple of thousand
acres. In Georgia, controlled burn season
runs from January through June or July.
“If the weather cooperates,” said Marylou,
“we’ll have about fifty burn days per
season. The rest of the time, we prepare
for the burns. We have to prep the fire
containment lines to make sure they will
allow us to keep the fire in the unit we are
working on. Each unit will be mapped out
and given a detailed burn plan.”
There are the many variables involved
Prescribed burning prevents
destructive wildfires, but it requires
coordination. "We really wouldn't
be able to do what we do without
our partners," said Marylou. TOP
LEFT Marylou has made some
good friends working on the fire
crew. TOP RIGHT The fire crews
will plan a burn around wind and
weather. They also burn in a way to
allow animals to escape, but they
often have to help move a few to
safety.