[gardeners] Re: Wildfires
bsk (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sun, 22 Dec 2002 07:02:17 -0600
How terrible!!!
That scares me to death here living in central Oklahoma. Any where you
live in prairie like conditions with wind and dry tender most of the year
your a sitting duck for fire. We have had several wildfires that got away
from someone on the next mile over and it burned up almost a 100 acres of
our land and a whole bunch more of other peoples. That kind of fire I don't
worry about much if it is just prairie as long as we have the cows out of
the way. This is the first year we have not planted winter wheat in the
small pasture around the house. I like something green to help prevent fires
but even without it we have kept it grazed short enough the fire couldn't
get that bad. We have had several others on our property that they had been
burning something and the wind picked up and relocated it. The guys have
spent several afternoons stomping out fires and hauling water. It is amazing
how fast even a tiny thing can get away from you.
The only real fire hazard I have close to my house is about 20 feet
behind it we have tall pine trees that if they caught fire could start the
house a flame. Thank goodness we have been lucky on the fire thing around
here and have been able to get them out.
I actually like a pasture fire after it is all over with. The potash is
good for the ground and when it comes out of it looks greener than anything
else around. If I thought I could do some prescribed burning safely I would
but I just don't dare no matter how good it is for the ground!
Good luck with the mess and recuperating. I just can't imagine losing so
much. It would be a heartbreaker.
Ranchmama
Okie zone 7a
******************
----- Original Message -----
From: "Marc Winterburn" <marcw@iinet.net.au>
> Hi All, I have great sadness in my heart as I tell you all that on Friday
we
> had a wildfire sweep through our district and I lost everything except the
> house and shed. I lost 100,000+ palm and cycad plants, 30,000 chillie
plants
> , over 250 varieties that all of my good friends world wide had so kindly
> sent me the seeds for.