57 

 Danger of Light Burning 



In practicing Light Burning, there is practically 

 always a possibility of the fire iDecoraing uncontrollable. 

 An area on a uniformly gentle slope and of but one ex- 

 posure might be burned with a rainimiim of danger, be- 

 cause the moisture content of the debris on the forest 

 floor would no doubt be uniform. But in relatively few 

 cases do conditions occur where the area to be burned 

 is consistent in slope and exposure. With a diversified 

 topography it is impossible to determine exactly when 

 Light Burning can be practiced without danger. Nor- 

 thern elopes will not burn if the southern exposures 

 alone are taken as the criterion. Therefore, only a 

 certain percentage of the surface will be burned over 

 dependent upon the area of the different exposures. On 

 the other hand, if Light Burning is postponed until nor- 

 thern exposures will burn, the southern slopes will be 

 highly inflammable, and an intense and dangerous fire 

 will result on the latter slopes. Hence, Light Burn- 

 ing is dangerous, in as much that moisture conditions 

 vary with degree of slope and exposure of the forest 

 floor. 



Again, relative humidity may be the determining 

 factor in the danger resulting from surface fires. It 

 is generally understood that forest fires burn with 

 greater intensity between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm 

 than they do at other times. This is due to the fact 



