Dead Fuel Potential

Seven years ago we were implementing a type 3 prescribed burn within red slash Juniper that was eradicated one year earlier. Labeling the burn as a type 3 was questionable due to the tons per acre, but because of the time of year (early March) and the snowy conditions we continued. Snow was consistent throughout the day and fire activity maintained an active state (consistent 15 foot flame lengths), but still controlled.

Bureau of Land Management Archive
Fire behavior experienced

Everything throughout the day had gone as planned, until our last strip across the jackpots of junipers. Myself, plus three burners brought fire from the top of the ridge down to our ending point, at a landing where our UTV’s sat. When the last burner crawled through the jungle of junipers, winds aligned perfectly forming a fire whirl probably 50 yards within our control line. It drew all our attention, especially when it began rapidly approaching our location. Within 10 seconds the fire whirl had grown to 200 feet tall, picking up full size down Junipers throwing them every direction. The  fire whirl moved toward us causing a lot of panic and confusion. The four of us ran and jumped on accessible vehicles to move out of the way. The fire whirl moved outside of our line roughly 400 yards and then slowly dissipated. One UTV suffered a broken roll cage, a missing seat and a broke hood.

Incidents like this are prime examples of how fire can create detrimental situations when continuity and arrangement, large amounts of dead fuel, topography and consistent winds converge. I still feel this specific situation was unpredictable, but remains in my mind of how dangerous and quickly fire can transform into a deadly force.