This week we were trying to reduce forest fuels in a steep-sided bowl called Big Cove. The cover types in Big Cove are generally pinyon-juniper and mountain mahogany, though there are stringers of white fir and clumps of aspen. While prescribed fire is usually thought of as small flames on flat ground, this project uses large flames on steep ground—the ignition is at the bottom of the slope and the terrain (along with some wind) is used to carry the fire through the stand. These are "stand replacing" treatments, with, presumably, a diverse assemblage of woody shrubs, forbs, and grasses taking the place of the dense PJ or MM.
The picture, at top, which I made, shows the white, puffy smoke of the dying fire mixing with the white, puffy clouds in the sky. I kind of like the effect. The picture, middle, was made by a colleague and it shows the same area, but at an earlier moment, while the fire was at its hottest. The reason I didn't make the middle picture is because, as the final picture (below) shows, sometimes I get out from behind the camera to do some work.
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