Thanks to Max Barzallo and Mary Clement for helping burn five acres around the house. And of course thanks to Honeybun, Blondie, River, and Sky for helping.

Now if another fire gets loose, it won’t burn to the house.

Burning five acres, Pine fire forest 2026-01-06, With neighbor help, and dogs

Here’s some video:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1644259806439943/

https://youtu.be/l3fZ-Adr_3I

For those who are not familiar with prescribed burns, we live in a longleaf fire forest. Southern pine trees are fire resistant, so burns don’t affect them much, but the fire does cut back on vines and other undergrowth, as well as competing oaks, sweetgum, and other trees.

Wildlife benefits. For example, quail don’t like thick undergrowth.

Such burns used to happen naturally due to lightning. And Native Americans used to start fires for this purpose.

During the forty years that Smokey the Bear recommended no forest fires, my father and grandfather continued prescribe burns on this land my grandfather bought in 1921.

We’re a bit behind due to weather and hurricanes the last few years, but finally we’re catching up.

RK

Max and Gretchen raking, Honeybun, Blondie, Sky, and River helping, 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Movie: Raking a firebreak (20M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Starting

Lit with a match, 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Movie: Will it burn? (7.8M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Movie: Maybe this time (4.4M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Movie: Must I go get the firestarter? (8.1M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Finally burning, 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Movie: Max with fire in pinestraw on a rake (27M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

NF

Nice fire, 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Movie: A nice low fire (10M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

FS

jsq with propane fire starter, 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –Gretchen for OPF

BFB

Fire along back firebreak, 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Movie: A little smokey (5.7M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

FU

Flaring up, 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Movie: Flaring up (29M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

DP

Movie: Dog pen and fire away from blueberry bushes (18M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Dog pen, 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

DW

Burning driveway, 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Movie: Flames along the driveway (17M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Movie: Can you see Gretchen? (6.0M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Movie: Gretchen with a hose in the fire (7.2M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

BatwA

Burning around, 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Movie: Burning all the way around (10M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Rakes

Mary Clement and Gretchen, 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Movie: Mary Clement and Gretchen, with River and Blondie (28M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

Fin

Movie: Not much more to do (27M), 2026-01-06, 5-acre prescribed burn –jsq for OPF

-jsq

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