October 14, 2020 | Authors: The Forteck Team
THE CONTENT IN OUR WEEKLY EMAIL IS CURATED BY FORESTERS FOR FORESTERS
Curated information is derived from a combination of Forteck crew members with first-hand experience and verified online sources or government sites. We work very hard to provide quality educational information relevant to the forestry industry to promote forestry and the great things foresters can do. Please let us know if you find any misinformation and we will correct it immediately. It takes a village to educate! Thank you for reading and working together in further teaching people about forestry. #forestryproud
Pile Burning
Pile burning is a service we offer here at Forteck and there are often a lot of questions about the service itself. In this article, we will explain the day to day life of Pile burning including things to take into consideration when on the job. First things first, when does Pile Burning season start in Alberta? typically starts Nov 1st and is completed prior to Jan 31st each year, which means, Pile burning season is right around the corner!
Benefits of Pile Burning
When people hear about Pile Burning or see pictures, it's typically assumed that Pile burning is unnecessary, however, there are lots of benefits for Pile Burning and we're proud to offer this safe service here at Forteck. Some benefits include:
Site remediation
Slash disposal
Wildfire risk reduction
A Typical Day
6:45 am: Wake up
7:30 am: Parking lot tailgate meeting, Leave hotel crew house or camp, in pickup loaded with ATVs and or Snowmobiles depending on snow depth/terrain. The ideal setup includes an enclosed trailer with all required safety gear, supplies and burning tools, (Propone, Drip torches, or other).
8:30 am: Tailgate meeting/equipment inspection. Unload at staging near the block and travel on ATV / snowmobile to the block.
9:00 am Start Pile Burning following standard operating procedures (sop’s), move from block to block, stay in communication with the rest of crew via radio, phone or satellite communication device.
4:30 pm: Stop pile burning head back to the truck
5:00 pm: meet at the truck, prep machines for the next day then travel to accommodations.
6:00 pm: Fuel up pickup, and restock burning fuel or propane
7:00 pm: Supper, shower
8:00 pm: Complete nightly reporting on the day, upload data from the past day and pre-plan for the next day.
9:30 pm: sleep so rested for the next physically demanding day
Things to Consider when on the Job
Now, it's no secret that Pile Burning requires a significant amount of safety protocols to keep our crews out of harms way. Below is a list of things we consider when showing up on site to ensure that we are as safe as possible:
Weather forecast
Snow levels
Temperature
Relative humidity
Wind speed
Access
Logistics
Smoke/venting
Nearby workers, equipment, communities or infrastructure
Nearby logging operations or log decks
Hunters in the area
Methods of Payment Typically Include:
Rate per cubic meter of timber harvested
Rate per hectare of Cutblock area
Rate per pile
Rate per hour
Rate per day
For a free project estimate email Branden@forteck.ca