By Mike Surbrugg
msurbrugg@joplinglobe.com
NEOSHO, Mo. — Rural residents and landowners are being warned to prepare for a winter fire season that could be much more severe than normal.
Going into winter, there is an increased “fuel load” on the ground, said Gary Smith, Missouri Department of Conservation district forester in Neosho. The additional load is the result of damage from January’s severe ice storm.
An acre of Ozarks timber normally will have three to four tons of leaves and downed limbs on the ground, Smith said. The current load is 30 to 40 tons.
Smith said limbs will continue to fall for years. Broken limbs dangling in trees are called “hangers,” and as they dry, they fall. The extra tons of fuel on the forest floor may be around for five to six years, he said.
“I think we are going to have a worse fire season than normal ... because of all the fuel on the ground,” said Andy Nimmo, Redings Mill fire chief. “I think we’re going to have some bigger fires, and I think we’re going to be out longer.”
Once they start, the fires are expected to be difficult to extinguish.
“It’s going to be harder to shut it off because of all the debris down,” said David Beshears, Pineville fire chief. “We just hope it stays wet.”
While leaves disguised some of the damage during the spring and summer, they also aggravated the problem. A lot of limbs had cracks that were hidden until the weight of the leaves brought them to the ground or caused them to hang, Smith said.
Some of those “hangers” present another danger for landowners and others who are out in the timber. Smith advised wearing hard hats.
“One of the things I’ve been cautioning my guys on is, ‘Watch above you, because something could come down on you,’” Nimmo said.
Trees left with at least half of their crowns could see some recovery, but many of these will not live for the “long haul,” Smith said.
Ripped limbs also create exposed wounds, allowing insects and diseases to weaken trees and continue adding fuel to the forests, he said.
Even when it is not burning, debris on the ground is an obstacle for firefighters to pass through, Smith said.
Smith advises homeowners to clear brush from around houses and other structures for a minimum of 30 feet and preferably to 100 feet.
“A wind-driven fire could have enough radiant heat to ignite structures several feet away,” he said.
Rural residents also need to be aware that there may be fewer days when burning is recommended this winter, Nimmo said.
“They need to be aware of when good conditions are,” he said. “If you let one of these get away into the timber, you’re going to have it get out of control pretty quickly.”
“Just be careful if you’re burning,” added Beshears, “and let 911 know if you’ve got a controlled burn.”
Pruning tips
Tips on pruning and caring for trees may be obtained at any county University of Missouri Extension center, or at Missouri Department of Conservation offices in Neosho or Joplin.
Local News
Fuel load from ice storm creates winter fire danger
- Local News
-
-
City wants to buy weather radios for those without
Phil Jones had been working on a construction project outside his house all day on May 22 and was unaware that a tornado watch had been issued. Once he was inside, though, his weather radio went off, and he learned that a warning had been issued.
-
Architects present preliminary JHS plans at community meeting
Reaction appeared mostly supportive Thursday night among the roughly 50 people who attended a community meeting at which architects presented their preliminary site plans for the future combined Joplin High School and Franklin Technology Center.
-
Confessed shooter testifies against co-defendants in Pittsburg murder case
Rickey Smith testified Thursday that as he came in the back door of Ryan Bailey’s home in Pittsburg with a 9 mm pistol in his hand, Bailey looked up from the couch in his living room.
-
School district’s proposed street-closing plan questioned
Plans to close some streets near the proposed Joplin High School drew questions, including a challenge from a former Joplin mayor, during a public hearing this week.
-
Neosho council approves new golf cart contract
The purchase of golf carts was back on the agenda this week for the Neosho City Council. City Attorney Steve Hays said there were errors in the financing terms that were part of a bid approved last month for the purchase of 55 gas-powered carts from E-Z-Go for $144,195, so the purchase of a new fleet was rebid.
-
Mike Pound: Spirit of competition evident during double-overtime game
When I played basketball in high school, I played in several very close games.
Now, some people who may have known me in high school are probably laughing right now and saying, “What Mike meant to say is that when he was in high school, he came very close to playing in some games.” -
Mo. optometrist filed $40 million refund claim
A southwest Missouri optometrist who filed a tax return claiming a $40 million refund has been sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison.
-
Okla. receives waiver from No Child Left Behind
Oklahoma’s top education official reacted with glee Thursday with the announcement that the state is one of 10 states being granted a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law that requires students be proficient in reading and math by 2014 — but focused on getting students to “just pass the tests.”
-
Kan. House approves bipartisan redistricting bill
Power in the Kansas House is likely to shift next year from rural parts of the state to the Kansas City area after members overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan bill Thursday for redrawing their districts.
-
Fugitive in 1993 British heist arrested in Ozark
A man suspected of stealing about $1.5 million from a security van in England in 1993 has been arrested in southwest Missouri.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
