Controlled burn scheduled Published Jan. 27, 2015 By 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 325th Civil Engineer Squadron Natural Resources Flight is scheduled to conduct a controlled burn on Tyndall Air Force Base, Jan. 28 and 29, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. The burn will occur west of base housing at the old golf course. Prescribed fires are necessary to reduce fuels for potential wildfires that could impact Tyndall's mission to "train and project unrivaled combat power." Every safety precaution has been taken to prepare for the prescribed burns, and further safety measures are in place to keep it contained. Given wind conditions and the techniques used by CE, smoke exposure should not present a concern. Included are some answers to questions you may have, and if you have a question not addressed, please leave it in the comments and we will get back to you! 1) What is a prescribed burn? A controlled, or prescribed, burn is the act of purposefully burning the nuisance plant life that fuels wildfires, while preserving the trees in that area. Prescribed fires remove the ground plant life under the forest canopy, so when wildfires actually do come through they are less intense. 2) Why are we doing it? The burn is being conducted on base because the area in question has become overgrown, and clearing away that overgrowth now reduces the risk that it could represent a fire hazard in the future. This is just one example of how we are preparing in advance to ensure our future mission-readiness. 3) Can you tell me what the process will be for starting/maintaining the fires? CE maintains a forecasted model that accounts for the weather parameters, temperatures and relative humidity on any given day a burn is planned. All these burns are thought out and approved by the Air Force Wildland Fire Center at Eglin Air Force Base. CE will be working with partners such as the Florida Forest Service and others to complete the procedure. 4) Who is responsible for managing these prescribed burns? CE is the primary office responsible for the burn, and is working closely with other agencies on base and in state and federal government, including the U.S and Florida Forest Service. 5) Are there are any health issues to be aware of? Should individuals with particular health conditions (asthma, sensitivity to smoke, etc.) do anything differently while the burn is in process? The process requires any winds be coming from a direction that blows the smoke out over the water. With winds coming from this direction, there is minimal danger of smoke or fire being carried into the housing areas. Additionally, the burn is carried out in such a way that the smoke should disperse at a higher altitude and out of range of individuals on the ground. Engaging in these prescribed burns is far safer than allowing continued expansion of dense vegetation, as the smoke exposure caused by wildfires is far more significant in density and duration than during controlled burns. 6) Burns like this are very dependent on weather, primarily winds. Is there any danger from shifting winds that could alter the course of the burn? CE runs a variety of models that project wind patterns on the day of a burn, and they will only conduct a burn if those models project patterns that ensure 100-percent safe operations. If the winds are not conducive to safe and effective completion of the burn, it will not take place. 7) This burn could impact wildlife activity on base. Do you have recommendations for avoiding unwanted animal contact, especially in base housing areas near the golf course? The burn is very "compartmentalized," meaning that the areas in question will not all be burned at the same time, but rather sequentially. Thus, we do not expect any significant increase in wildlife interaction. We do ask residents to maintain vigilance, however, when it comes to wildlife awareness.