There will be signage on either end giving notice of the controlled prairie burn ahead so those adversely affected by smoke can take alternate routes. John Coleman has already sent out info to the MNA list but FYI to everyone else.
Here are some of the prairie flowers John has planted and nurtured over the last 10 years: http://www.lic.wisc.edu/users/jsc/garden/prairie01.htm The target date is March 28th but that may get delayed because of weather. MGE and involved neighbors are looking for volunteers to help with picking up brush and trash before the burn and to direct traffic at the cross streets during the burn. You can contact John at: [email protected]<mailto:jcolema1%40wisc.edu> Here is what MGE submitted to the Fire Dept. Prairie Restoration Project – 2010 Burn Plan The Prairie Restoration project initially started in 2009 as a cooperative effort between Madison Gas and Electric, the City of Madison, the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad, and the neighboring communities and volunteers, continues into 2010, starting with a Controlled Burn scheduled for the end of March – beginning of April. The Planning Group for the Prairie Restoration Project has met and outlined a Plan for the Controlled Burn. The principal elements of that Plan are provided below. There will be three Teams involved in the Controlled Burn. The Teams are listed below, along with their tasks and responsibilities. Project Safety Team This Team will have overall responsibility for Project safety and will monitor the progress of the Burn Team, watch for traffic related safety issues, have on hand the necessary safety and first aid equipment and materials for personnel protection, ensure that all on site personnel are equipped with correct PPE, and that correct safety practices are followed by all. Specific areas of concern are: traffic safety at street crossings, fire safety at and around the burn process, pedestrian and bike safety, rerouting of bike traffic, and vision impairment due to smoke density. Traffic Control Team This Team will monitor vehicular traffic relative to smoke density at all street crossings and also will monitor and redirect all bike traffic around the segment of the bike trail being burned. Bike traffic shall be rerouted to East Main Street. This Team will also work with the on-site WSOR representative to monitor and maintain proper clearances from the rail and will coordinate with the Safety Team throughout the Project duration. Burn Team All members of this team will have prior experience with Controlled Burns, and the Team Leader will have completed the mandated training provided by the Madison Fire Department. This Team will have primary responsibility for the control of the burn, the rate of advance, protection of the adjacent properties and structures, the volume of smoke being generated as the burn progresses, and protection of any “non-burn” materials in the path of the burn to ensure they are not damaged. This Team will utilize backpack sprayers as their primary control “tool. Fire starting will be accomplished with drip torches. There also will be a truck on-site equipped with a 65-gallon water tank, water pump, and 200 feet of hose. MGE will provide a 300-gallon water tank, pumps, and hoses as backup in the event that Station 3 is called away. Two-way radios (walkie talkies) will be used by the various Teams to provide effective communication. MGE Project Manager The Project Manager for the Prairie Restoration Project is Mr. Jim Montgomery, Senior Director – Facilities Management, cell phone 608-575-9701. Project Coordinator The Project Coordinator for this Controlled Burn is Mr. Willis Brown of Michler and Brown, MGE’s contractor for this work, cell phone 608-316-5411. Mr. Brown will complete the required Madison Fire Department training prior to the burn date. He has completed Fire Safety Courses 125, 190, 290, and 390 as provided by the Nature Conservancy. Planned Schedule The Controlled Burn will commence at approximately 10:30 a.m., either on Saturday, March 27, or Sunday, March 28. The alternate dates are Saturday, April 10, or Sunday, April 11. Weather Related Criteria The weather “thresholds” that will be monitored, and which provide “Go”, “No Go” criteria are: Winds no more than 10 mph. Temperature between 45 degrees and 75 degrees. Relative humidity above 20%. Not part of the Fire Department criteria is wind direction, which in this instance is important as well. For any wind with a westerly component we would work westerly and any wind with an easterly component we would work easterly. Project Sequence One of the five Project segments will be burned at a time, starting either at the segment between South Blair Street and South Blount Street, or the segment between South Ingersoll and South Brearly, and then moving to the east or west, depending upon principal wind direction as noted above, one block segment at a time. The time for each burn segment is estimated to be 30 to 45 minutes. As each one block segment is completed, members of the Project Safety Team will continue to monitor the completed segment for any potential reignition areas and will make sure that passersby are informed about the Project. Signing and Marking Signs and barricades will be placed at the street crossings to redirect bike and pedestrians traffic, and members of the Traffic Control Team will remain at the endpoints of each burn segment until completion to respond to questions or concerns and to ensure that no one inadvertently uses the bike path segment while the burn is underway. That Team will also be responsible for traffic control at the street crossings if smoke density becomes a safety issue for motorists. Fire Department Assistance Station 3 of the Madison Fire Department (MFD) will be present on site during the burn, as long as no other priorities require them to be elsewhere. They plan to have the MFD brush truck on site as well. Project Boundaries and Adjacencies The attached aerial photo is marked to delineate the areas / block segments to be burned, and it shows all adjacent structures and properties. A larger scale version of this plan is available if desired or a PDF copy can be forwarded electronically. Fire breaks will occur at each street crossing, as well as the adjacent hard surface or gravel lots along the Project route. All debris and brush in the Controlled Burn area will be removed prior to the date of the burn, and additional “policing and pickup” will occur on the day of the burn by volunteers walking ahead of the burn in the other segments of the Project. All brush and debris will be loaded onto a utility trailer provided by MGE and will be removed from the burn area prior to the actual burn commencing. A listing and copy of the letter of transmittal is attached for those neighbors and businesses within 200 feet of the Project. Notification for this Project was accomplished in March of 2009, with an Open House held on March 30, 2009, at MGE where all those in attendance were briefed on the Prairie Restoration Project – which included discussion of this Controlled Burn that was originally scheduled for the fall of 2009.
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