The Spring burn season kicked off its first prescribed fire at Gibbs Farms. 15 PBA members and volunteers came together to burn 3 acres. The objectives to reduce fuels, remove duff beneath the pine trees, cycle nutrients back into the soil and leave black char on the soil surface were successful. The crew ended the day with a celebratory BBQ provided by the landowner.

Tucked away in Merry canyon is the genius tinkerer and our favorite PBA volunteer Mr. Raymond. A small one acre burn was implemented on the slope to the side of his house to reduce fuel loading and recycle nutrients back into the soil.

Students of fire! Utilizing the power of fire is what makes us distinctly human. For thousands of years natural and anthropogenic fire regimes shaped the lands of North America. Our indigenous communities understood this relationship in order to manage their resources, culture, and provide security to their homes. Our learn and burn events are open to anyone wanting to learn about fire and rekindle the knowledge from it. Thanks Camp Camrec for hosting.

The Fall Learn and Burn event provided another engaging and educational opportunity for participants to explore the process and importance of prescribed burns for our environment. Twenty three attendees were able to participate in hands-on field experience with the support from Lake Wenatchee Fire and Rescue and the WA DNR.

This was the warm up to the Fall burn window. It was only a one acre burn but it provided all the characteristics of what it is like burning in the Chumstick.

The Winter unit was a 3 acre burn up Spromberg canyon outside of Leavenworth. The burn unit included classic Chumstick steep slopes in addition to a heavier slash component leftover from a thinning project in 2018. Collaboration is key and the PBA appreciated Leavenworth’s Fire District 3 dropping off 3,000 gallons of water to fill the foldable water tanks. The crew was pleased with the results and execution of the burn. The landowners sent no one home hungry after a wonderful Salmon BBQ.

To cap off the Fall burn season our good friends at Camp Camrec hosted an 8.8 acre burn that for many of us was the highlight of the season. This unit had variable topography and aspects which made it a lot of fun to observe and learn from the different fire behavior. 30+ people came to help out and everyone who wanted to run a drip torch got the chance! District 3 again provided water to the folda tanks, Lake Wenatchee Fire and Rescue parked an engine on scene as a contingency resource and the WA DNR provided additional hoses, pumps, and fittings.

The Cascadia PBA provided equipment and a participant to join the North Cascades PBA in their inaugural Learn and Burn and landowner implementation burn. Awesome to see the PBA movement catching on across the state!

Biochar is the coolest and nerdiest thing in the Rx world and we are all about it. Our local biochar expert Karina Stark led two workshops demonstrating biochar flame cap kilns and all the advantages they have for safe pile burning, reduced smoke emissions, carbon sequestration and soil health.