German Forestry Exchange Student's Reflections of a Summer of Fire Research
FERIC has a number of projects specific to fighting and controlling forest fires in western Canada.
These projects give foreign students the possibility to do a practical term with this institution and by this, gain a lot of experience.
One of the projects we were able to work on took place during June 2005 in the Northwest Territories close to Fort Providence.
Pict. 1: Welcome to Fort Providence
We prepared some plots for burning, which were burned this year, and we did some work in plots in which burns will be attempted next year.
Some of our work includes:
Debarking of the Jack-Pine
The Jack-pine (Pinus banksiana) has a bark that is curled. This curled bark makes it possible for a surface fire to climb the stem of a tree and because of this reach the crowns of the tree. When the fire reaches the crown, the fire may develop into a crown fire, which is very dangerous and hard to fight.
The work the students did, was to remove the curled bark on the living Jack-Pines up to 2 meters high. For this, we used a tool (developed by Andreas), which consisted of a stick and some angle iron. This was used to scrape the bark off the tree.
After debarking, fire fighters take away the standing dead and down trees and then cleaned the surface of the plot with controlled surface fire.
Now these plots are prepared for some burnings next year.
Pict. 2: Students debarking
Measuring the crown density
For the growth of a forest fire, crown density is very important. One of the jobs we had to do was to measure the crown density in plots at a few points which had been pre-determined by a fire researcher. To measure the crown density, we used a densiometer.
Pict. 3: Measuring crowns…
Pict. 4:..with the densiometer
Fuel studies
But not only the crown density influences a forest fire.
For fire-researchers is it important to know the condition of fuel on the ground. So another task of the students was doing fuel studies. These studies include counting and measuring twigs (diameter) before and after the fire. Further we had to measure the depth of the litter and the duff, check the vegetation, count understorey trees, measure the diameter of trees, etc.
The reason for the fuel studies is that the researchers hope to find out how different fuels affect fire behaviour. This knowledge is very important and can help to find the right tactics for different fires.
Building log piles
In another project, fire-researchers wanted to know, if it is possible, to protect log decks against fire with a special gel, so we built a few log decks using a ‘home-owners’ forwarder and applied the gel in certain places.
Pict. 5: Working with the Forwarder
Pict. 6: In the middle of the deck is the gel protected wood
Building cabins
In two plots we constructed some cabins (small houses consisting of typical Canadian materials ® cedar and plastic siding and asphalt shingles). After building the cabins they were protected with a water sprinkling system and with the same gel that has been used by the protection of the log pile. The stand was then ignited.
Pict. 7: Erecting cabins
Pict. 8 One cabin we constructed
Pict 9. After the fire.
The experience, I had while in the….. NWT
Pict. 10: The frontier to the NWT
The work we students had to do was interesting and on a lot of days it was hard physical work that was made worse by millions of mosquitoes and black flies. On some days, it was only possible to do the work with a bug net and bug spray.
But even with all this, things were equalized by very good companionship with all the people working on this project and the possibility to be very close to gigantic forest fires, which I’ll never forget.
If you want to do a practical term in the Canadian forests, you have to be conscious that you work often in the wilderness and because of this, it’s possible to meet a bear or other wild animals. So I enjoyed seeing a lot of animals there (the only problem I had, was with a black bear, who stole my pack!!!)
While in Fort Providence, I had to forgo things like cinema, pubs etc. because the next big city is 300 km away (Yellowknife has17, 000 people), but on the other hand I was able to enjoy other things like fishing in the Mackenzie River, which is 20 meters behind the motel we stayed at.
Seeing the northern lights at the time we were there was not possible, because at this time of the year, the sun goes down very late in the evening (if at all)!
More Pictures:
Pict. 11: The Landscape in the NWT
Pict. 12: On the way to the plots (the pack thief?)
Pict. 13: Lunch-time
Pict. 15: …and big fires
Pict.16: After the fire
Pict.17: Visitors during fishing