Fighting forest fires requires an incredible amount of money and resources. To reduce the risk of their occurrence, complexes of preventive measures are being developed. Some are aimed at preventing fires, others are aimed at fighting fire and preventing it from spreading over vast territories. A properly equipped mineralized strip plays an important role in this.
Destination
The mineralized strip is an artificially created fire barrier. It is created by cleaning the linear section of the territory bordering the forest from combustible materials. As a rule, this is done in a mechanized way: the tractor is plowing the soil to a certain width.
The mineral layer of the soil is exposed, and the turf, grass, needles, leaves and other materials that can burn are sprinkled with earth in the process. In case of focal fires, such a plowed strip prevents the spread of grassrootsfire to other parts of the forest.
Another purpose of the mineralized strip is to create a reference line, from which an oncoming adjustable burn (annealing) of the forest area will be carried out. A band of fire going towards the main fire destroys all combustible materials in its path. Having met, the flame dies out, as there is nothing left to burn.
In this case, the mineralized strip is arranged along the line of the spreading fire at some distance from it. Arson is carried out from the side of the approaching elements. The process must be under the constant control of firefighters so that the fire does not spread to the area beyond the contact line.
Requirements
As an independent barrier, a mineralized strip is not just a condition for organizing recreation areas where open fire is allowed. Such a barrier is mandatory for any work in the immediate vicinity of the forest.
It is set up in the cutting areas in the places of storage of fuels and lubricants, in the area of cutting and felling trees and their storage. Territories with young plantations are also protected by such strips. Barriers are also being erected along roads, along the border with farmland, around housing and production facilities.
The width of the mineralized strip can be different, and it depends on the purpose and conditions of the area. To arrange a controlled annealing line, it can be 0.3-0.5 m. For fire prevention, it is recommended to equip strips of at least 1.4 m. It is better if such a line is even wider (2.5-4 m), since the protective effectiveness of the barrier depends on this.
In the conditions of a spreading fire in the forest, the decision on the width of the barrier arrangement is made on the spot and depends on many factors. In areas with shrub plantations, it will be enough to withstand a gap of 1.5–2 m, while in a forest stand a width of up to 4 m will be required. If the threat of crown fire is high, then soil mineralization alone in strong winds will not be enough.
Arrangement
Fire mineralized strips are created by tillage implements. In most cases, this happens in a mechanized way using tractors, bulldozers, special equipment for laying lanes. For the arrangement, forest fire combined plows (PKL-70 and PKL-2, 0) are most often used. In one pass, such a tractor linkage provides an opening of the soil layer to a width of 1.4 to 2 meters. In some cases, it is possible to manually clear the soil, use explosives, and treat with herbicides to destroy vegetation in the steppe zone.
The mineralized strip involves the complete cleaning of the territory from combustible materials. Therefore, in addition to plowing, it may be necessary to cut down trees and shrubs along the way of its laying. In addition to the arrangement of new lines, it is necessary to take care of them 1-2 times a year, their renewal and restoration, since the accumulation of a layer of combustible materials (needles, foliage, branches, grass) occursconstantly.
To control the quality of the strip, a visual assessment of the degree of mineralization (openness of the soil layer) is made. The completeness of embedding combustible forest materials with soil to the required width will also be checked. The complex of measures assesses the extent to which the network of mineralized strips covers the entire territory of the forest. Industry standards, in addition to the width of the protective lines, define the standards for the area of areas limited by such barriers and the distance between adjacent lanes.
Features
The mineralized strip on the slopes is equipped with a groove in the middle so that burning materials rolling from a hill can linger in it. Branches near the dry forest near the line of demarcation, if time permits, are cut. The tractor can only be used with a protected cab. Make sure it is in good technical condition. It is better if the technique works in pairs. It is necessary to calculate the time in order to have time to finish the strip before the approach of the front of fire and have time to carry out the oncoming annealing.
The route is laid in accordance with the topography of the area. The direction is chosen in a straight line, avoiding sharp corners and gaps. Where possible, natural barriers (roads, highways, rivers and lakes) should be used. When equipping the strip during a fire, you should observe safety precautions and work should be carried out at an acceptable distance from the line of fire.
