http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/tags/photograph/ Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:55:26 -0700 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:55:26 -0700 http://www.flickr.com/ http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4087/buddyicons/55836254@N07.jpg?1289622985#55836254@N07 http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/tags/photograph/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8675642770/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8675642770/" title="White-eyed Vireo by Steve Gifford"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8117/8675642770_5e34471147_m.jpg" width="240" height="144" alt="White-eyed Vireo by Steve Gifford" /></a></p> <p>Taken at Haubstadt Community Park in Gibson County, Indiana.</p> Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:55:26 -0700 2013-04-23T08:14:58-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8675642770 White-eyed Vireo by Steve Gifford <p>Taken at Haubstadt Community Park in Gibson County, Indiana.</p> Steve Gifford - IN park county white nature birds photo community wildlife steve picture indiana photograph steven eyed society gibson audubon gifford ias vireo haubstadt whiteeyed http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8674537225/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8674537225/" title="White-eyed Vireo by Steve Gifford"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8522/8674537225_4dcd983597_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="White-eyed Vireo by Steve Gifford" /></a></p> <p>Taken at Haubstadt Community Park in Gibson County, Indiana.</p> Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:55:11 -0700 2013-04-23T08:14:15-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8674537225 White-eyed Vireo by Steve Gifford <p>Taken at Haubstadt Community Park in Gibson County, Indiana.</p> Steve Gifford - IN park county white nature birds photo community wildlife steve picture indiana photograph steven eyed society gibson audubon gifford ias vireo haubstadt whiteeyed http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8674536589/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8674536589/" title="White-eyed Vireo by Steve Gifford"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8124/8674536589_8e4d9368bb_m.jpg" width="240" height="135" alt="White-eyed Vireo by Steve Gifford" /></a></p> <p>Taken at Haubstadt Community Park in Gibson County, Indiana.</p> Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:54:58 -0700 2013-04-23T08:14:59-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8674536589 White-eyed Vireo by Steve Gifford <p>Taken at Haubstadt Community Park in Gibson County, Indiana.</p> Steve Gifford - IN park county white nature birds photo community wildlife steve picture indiana photograph steven eyed society gibson audubon gifford ias vireo haubstadt whiteeyed http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658244360/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658244360/" title="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8113/8658244360_293e650dbd_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn" /></a></p> <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:00:15 -0700 2013-04-03T11:15:57-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8658244360 Columbia Mine Controlled Burn <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Steve Gifford - IN county city fish river fire oakland us photo big mine wildlife steve picture indiana columbia burn national sycamore photograph trust land service steven prairie oaks gibson usfws controlled refuge wildfire gifford nwr haubstadt patoka http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658250000/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658250000/" title="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8125/8658250000_74f18d0907_m.jpg" width="240" height="144" alt="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn" /></a></p> <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:02:34 -0700 2013-04-03T10:29:05-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8658250000 Columbia Mine Controlled Burn <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Steve Gifford - IN county city fish river fire oakland us photo big mine wildlife steve picture indiana columbia burn national sycamore photograph trust land service steven prairie oaks gibson usfws controlled refuge wildfire gifford nwr haubstadt patoka http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8657139381/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8657139381/" title="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8109/8657139381_fff4e1543e_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn" /></a></p> <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:00:55 -0700 2013-04-03T11:14:48-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8657139381 Columbia Mine Controlled Burn <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Steve Gifford - IN county city fish river fire oakland us photo big mine wildlife steve picture indiana columbia burn national sycamore photograph trust land service steven prairie oaks gibson usfws controlled refuge wildfire gifford nwr haubstadt patoka http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658247546/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658247546/" title="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8105/8658247546_0fbf6b864d_m.jpg" width="240" height="135" alt="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn" /></a></p> <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:01:31 -0700 2013-04-03T10:32:34-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8658247546 Columbia Mine Controlled Burn <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Steve Gifford - IN columbia mine controlled burn patoka river national wildlife refuge nwr big oaks fire oakland city gibson county indiana sycamore land trust steve steven gifford us usfws fish service picture photo photograph prairie wildfire haubstadt http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658240334/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658240334/" title="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8123/8658240334_e590d2bdcc_m.jpg" width="240" height="144" alt="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn" /></a></p> <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:58:38 -0700 2013-04-03T11:21:59-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8658240334 Columbia Mine Controlled Burn <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Steve Gifford - IN county city fish river fire oakland us photo big mine wildlife steve picture indiana columbia burn national sycamore photograph trust land service steven prairie oaks gibson usfws controlled refuge wildfire gifford nwr haubstadt patoka http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658223910/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658223910/" title="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8100/8658223910_3b98eb6eb7_m.jpg" width="240" height="135" alt="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn" /></a></p> <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:52:03 -0700 2013-04-03T12:51:51-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8658223910 Columbia Mine Controlled Burn <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Steve Gifford - IN columbia mine controlled burn patoka river national wildlife refuge nwr big oaks fire oakland city gibson county indiana sycamore land trust steve steven gifford us usfws fish service picture photo photograph prairie wildfire haubstadt http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658231940/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658231940/" title="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8109/8658231940_0f435e56b8_m.jpg" width="240" height="135" alt="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn" /></a></p> <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:55:12 -0700 2013-04-03T12:27:39-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8658231940 Columbia Mine Controlled Burn <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Steve Gifford - IN county city fish river fire oakland us photo big mine wildlife steve picture indiana columbia burn national sycamore photograph trust land service steven prairie oaks gibson usfws controlled refuge wildfire gifford nwr haubstadt patoka http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658677291/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658677291/" title="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8122/8658677291_f7666da29d_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn" /></a></p> <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:56:25 -0700 2013-04-03T12:15:45-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8658677291 Columbia Mine Controlled Burn <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Steve Gifford - IN county city fish river fire oakland us photo big mine wildlife steve picture indiana columbia burn national sycamore photograph trust land service steven prairie oaks gibson usfws controlled refuge wildfire gifford nwr haubstadt patoka http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658233376/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658233376/" title="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8120/8658233376_14a73dc661_m.jpg" width="240" height="135" alt="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn" /></a></p> <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:55:47 -0700 2013-04-03T12:07:57-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8658233376 Columbia Mine Controlled Burn <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Steve Gifford - IN county city fish river fire oakland us photo big mine wildlife steve picture indiana columbia burn national sycamore photograph trust land service steven prairie oaks gibson usfws controlled refuge wildfire gifford nwr haubstadt patoka http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658237086/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658237086/" title="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8116/8658237086_8a214769db_m.jpg" width="192" height="240" alt="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn" /></a></p> <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:57:15 -0700 2013-04-03T12:05:01-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8658237086 Columbia Mine Controlled Burn <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Steve Gifford - IN county city fish river fire oakland us photo big mine wildlife steve picture indiana columbia burn national sycamore photograph trust land service steven prairie oaks gibson usfws controlled refuge wildfire gifford nwr haubstadt patoka http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658228454/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658228454/" title="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8112/8658228454_a29c2b23ae_m.jpg" width="240" height="144" alt="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn" /></a></p> <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:53:50 -0700 2013-04-03T12:28:53-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8658228454 Columbia Mine Controlled Burn <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Steve Gifford - IN county city fish river fire oakland us photo big mine wildlife steve picture indiana columbia burn national sycamore photograph trust land service steven prairie oaks gibson usfws controlled refuge wildfire gifford nwr haubstadt patoka http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658220972/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8658220972/" title="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8116/8658220972_b0131f41d4_m.jpg" width="240" height="135" alt="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn" /></a></p> <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:50:51 -0700 2013-04-03T13:01:23-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8658220972 Columbia Mine Controlled Burn <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Steve Gifford - IN county city fish river fire oakland us photo big mine wildlife steve picture indiana columbia burn national sycamore photograph trust land service steven prairie oaks gibson usfws controlled refuge wildfire gifford nwr haubstadt patoka http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8657116281/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8657116281/" title="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8117/8657116281_ae30168d90_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn" /></a></p> <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:51:34 -0700 2013-04-03T13:01:22-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8657116281 Columbia Mine Controlled Burn <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Steve Gifford - IN county city fish river fire oakland us photo big mine wildlife steve picture indiana columbia burn national sycamore photograph trust land service steven prairie oaks gibson usfws controlled refuge wildfire gifford nwr haubstadt patoka http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8659783906/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8659783906/" title="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8122/8659783906_8e41e35338_m.jpg" width="192" height="240" alt="Columbia Mine Controlled Burn" /></a></p> <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:54:30 -0700 2013-04-03T12:32:35-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8659783906 Columbia Mine Controlled Burn <p>Two weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a controlled burn of the Columbia Mine section of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Gibson County, Indiana. The burn was conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife's team from Big Oaks NWR as part of an overall habitat restoration plan at Columbia.<br /> <br /> For those like me that have never been part of this process before, here's how it works:<br /> <br /> 1) Prepare - Evaluate wind and humidity, plan evacuation routes and set up water refill stations for the trucks.<br /> 2) Break down the area to be burned into sections bordered by roads, water features or other natural fire breaks.<br /> 3) Starting at the downwind side, burn and then extinguish a very controlled strip about 50 feet wide that encompases the area to be burned. Since the fire is being forced to burn towards the wind, this part of the burn is a very controlled and slow process.<br /> 4) Once the entire section to be burned is encompased by either a natural barrier or one of the burnt strips, light the upwind side on fire and let er' rip! <br /> <br /> Having been lulled into complacency a bit by slow process of lighting the backfire, I was not prepared for how fast the fire engages and absolutely plows through the area once lit from upwind. It is an unbelieveable thing to watch.<br /> <br /> If everything goes as planned the wind will fuel the fire and push it downwind until it reaches the strip that has already been burned at which point it will run out of fuel and stop.<br /> <br /> The team from Big Oaks is very good at what they do. Through very careful planning and monitoring the whole burn was completed in one day just as planned. Thanks to the whole team for inviting me to participate!</p> Steve Gifford - IN county city fish river fire oakland us photo big mine wildlife steve picture indiana columbia burn national sycamore photograph trust land service steven prairie oaks gibson usfws controlled refuge wildfire gifford nwr haubstadt patoka http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8666760236/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8666760236/" title="Black-crowned Night-heron by Steve Gifford"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8261/8666760236_8240f7ff42_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Black-crowned Night-heron by Steve Gifford" /></a></p> <p>Nice to see some wading birds returning for the summer!<br /> <br /> Taken near the Duke Energy facility in Gibson County, Indiana.</p> Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:07:05 -0700 2013-04-20T09:57:23-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8666760236 Black-crowned Night-heron by Steve Gifford <p>Nice to see some wading birds returning for the summer!<br /> <br /> Taken near the Duke Energy facility in Gibson County, Indiana.</p> Steve Gifford - IN county black heron nature birds night photo energy wildlife steve picture indiana duke photograph steven society gibson audubon crowned gifford ias nightheron blackcrowned haubstadt http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8665663637/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8665663637/" title="Black-crowned Night-heron by Steve Gifford"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8250/8665663637_e6a7f1c156_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Black-crowned Night-heron by Steve Gifford" /></a></p> <p>Nice to see some wading birds returning for the summer!<br /> <br /> Taken near the Duke Energy facility in Gibson County, Indiana.</p> Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:09:01 -0700 2013-04-20T09:58:09-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8665663637 Black-crowned Night-heron by Steve Gifford <p>Nice to see some wading birds returning for the summer!<br /> <br /> Taken near the Duke Energy facility in Gibson County, Indiana.</p> Steve Gifford - IN county black heron nature birds night photo energy wildlife steve picture indiana duke photograph steven society gibson audubon crowned gifford ias nightheron blackcrowned haubstadt http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8666762664/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/steve-gifford/">Steve Gifford - IN</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-gifford/8666762664/" title="Black-crowned Night-heron by Steve Gifford"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8264/8666762664_02dd5520f2_m.jpg" width="240" height="144" alt="Black-crowned Night-heron by Steve Gifford" /></a></p> <p>Nice to see some wading birds returning for the summer!<br /> <br /> Taken near the Duke Energy facility in Gibson County, Indiana.</p> Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:08:06 -0700 2013-04-20T09:57:33-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Steve Gifford - IN) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8666762664 Black-crowned Night-heron by Steve Gifford <p>Nice to see some wading birds returning for the summer!<br /> <br /> Taken near the Duke Energy facility in Gibson County, Indiana.</p> Steve Gifford - IN county black heron nature birds night photo energy wildlife steve picture indiana duke photograph steven society gibson audubon crowned gifford ias nightheron blackcrowned haubstadt