USGS - science for a changing world

Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

  Home About NPWRC Our Science Staff Employment Contacts Common Questions About the Site

Prescribed Burning Guidelines
in the Northern Great Plains


Confining Fire

Chemical retardants

Chemical retardants are usually applied on the fireline just prior to fire initiation (Fig. 29). Retardants are excellent for fire confinement, and their use can eliminate tillage scars in native prairie.

JPEG -- Chemical retardant

The biggest drawbacks are the needs for a second crew on each fire and for special application equipment. In addition, the cost of the material can be expensive. Requirements for special clothing and training for the people who mix and apply the chemicals must be met. There also will be no fire containment on all sides of a burn area.

Some chemical retardants contain phosphorus which can affect native prairie through unnatural fertilization, which in turn might affect species composition or biomass production.

Previous Page -- Confining fire - fire containment lines
Return to Contents
Next Page -- Confining fire - foam retardants

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

Take Pride in America logo USA.gov logo U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/habitat/burning/conchem.htm
Page Contact Information: Webmaster
Page Last Modified: Saturday, 02-Feb-2013 04:39:13 EST
Menlo Park, CA [caww54]