RX burns in the South East US (LA, AL, FL) 2/7 - 2/27/15

[Aaronw]

Lighting from the swamp buggy

[Aaronw]

UTV watching the edge of the burn for spots

[Aaronw]

Florida Forest Service UH-1 standing by for aerial ignition and for bucket work if there are spot fires.

[Aaronw]

and there were spot fires

[Aaronw]

2

[Aaronw]

Swamp buggy

[Aaronw]

This buggy was equipped with an 80 gallon tank and small electric pump

[Aaronw]

A bit more tropical than Eglin, the Cabbage Palms were numerous and are prolific flying ember generators

[Aaronw]

UH-1 with bucket

[Aaronw]

Swamp buggy and UTV

[Aaronw]

UH-1 and helicopter support truck

[Aaronw]

2

[Aaronw]

Finished the trip with a 350 acre burn at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge

A row of Swamp Buggys, the light green buggys were equipped with 250 gallon tanks and 85gpm aux pumps, the dark green is used for transportation and can easily seat 6-8 firefighters.

[Aaronw]

1

[Aaronw]

Cooling the tops of the cabbage palms allows the stalks to burn off and drop to the ground before the burning fronds can sail off to find receptive fuels outside of the burn.

[Aaronw]

Swamp buggys are the way to go in these fuels, they keep you nicely out of reach of the local rattlesnakes, Cottonmouths and gators, several being seen during the day.

[Aaronw]

2

[Aaronw]

3

[Aaronw]

Swatters (as I knew them in the South West), or Flappers as the locals called them were popular for patting out small fires creeping through the grass.

[Aaronw]

4