Plowing firebreaks to prevent ground fires

Fire prevention plowing

Plowing Firebreaks near Populated Areas

To protect villages or settlements from ground fires, firebreaks are commonly used. We receive and adjust the firebreak specifications, preparing the tractor and forest plow accordingly. The unique feature of the forest plow is its ability to dig to a specified depth, clearing plant debris from the furrow to its sides, and exposing a soil layer free of sod, grass, moss, and shrubs. This process creates two ridges of overturned sod.

The trajectory of the tractor and plow forms a protective strip that separates the settlement from the forest, fields, or meadows. As a result, the risk of ground fire spreading is reduced, localizing potential fire transmission points and facilitating fire suppression efforts. The plowing of firebreaks is one of the simplest methods for ensuring fire safety in populated areas.

Plowing Firebreaks around Agricultural Facilities

Mineralized firebreaks are also used to protect agricultural facilities—fields, meadows, and farms—from the spread of ground fires. Vegetation can become dry and flammable by autumn and spring, increasing the fire hazard. During rainy or wet conditions, this danger is reduced. By plowing with a forest plow, we can protect buildings on agricultural sites and fields from fire.

Creating Firebreaks along Forest Boundaries and Within Forest Areas

Globally, forests are divided into compartments by clearings ranging from 10 to 50 meters in width. A forest compartment is the primary unit of forest management and fire safety. Firebreaks are established along the boundaries of these compartments, as well as within them, through forest clearing, which removes fallen branches and dry, deadwood.

Plowing firebreaks helps protect forested areas from ground fires, which are a significant threat. If a ground fire occurs, it can destroy the understory and, under certain conditions, escalate into a crown fire—especially during hot, dry weather in coniferous forests. Crown fires are particularly dangerous in windy conditions and can completely destroy agricultural buildings and homes in forest-adjacent settlements.

The creation of firebreaks is planned both along forest boundaries and within the forest itself. Forests cleared of deadwood are more resilient to ground fires. If sections of the forest are separated by mineralized firebreaks, the fire will not spread from one section to another. Clearing the forest of deadwood also reduces fire hazards, as ground fires in forests filled with windfallen trees pose a significantly greater threat than those occurring in open fields.

Firebreaks can only be established if there is no peat beneath the sod layer. Plowing over peat, on the contrary, dries it out and makes it more vulnerable to ground fires during droughts. Therefore, in areas with peat soils, drainage ditches are necessary for moisture control. If the plow exposes a subsoil layer of sand or clay, such a firebreak can last 2-3 years with a guarantee. Regulations stipulate that firebreak systems, including ditches and firebreaks, must be updated when they become 30% overgrown.

Maintenance of mineralized firebreaks

The maintenance of mineralized firebreaks is a set of operations that extend the lifespan of fire barriers against surface wildfires. It is a preventive fire protection measure that allows the restoration of mineralized firebreaks.

Clearing fallen branches, trees, and combustible materials 

This involves the removal of debris such as branches and trees that have fallen across the firebreak, as well as any other combustible materials that may fuel a fire.

Restoration of the mineralized firebreak 

This is done through shallow plowing along the existing firebreak to restore its protective qualities, especially when vegetation starts to grow. Shallow plowing is less costly compared to deep plowing.

Treatment of the firebreak with general-purpose herbicides 

Herbicide application prevents vegetation from growing back on the mineralized strip, maintaining its effectiveness as a firebreak.

The maintenance of mineralized firebreaks, including branch and tree removal, shallow plowing, and herbicide application, is a periodic activity in areas where firebreak restoration is necessary. These operations are more cost-effective compared to deep plowing of previously uncultivated land.

Trust us with Your land preparation needs

How do we operate? When involved in land development, we prepare a Territory Planning Project (TPP) and a Work Production Plan (WPP). In civil engineering, this is based on the dendrological plan of the area, known as the dendroplan.

A dendroplan allows for the management of the entire tree population on the site and provides authorization for the removal of trees that obstruct development, including those within the construction footprint. It also helps identify protected vegetation that cannot be removed. Then we clear a land from vegetation, make levelling and drainage system or/and irrigation.

We can also prepare a Fire Safety Passport for the site, which includes evacuation plans, water supply routes, and access roads for firefighting equipment. We plan and construct water collection points and access roads to ponds and other water reservoirs suitable for fire suppression, taking into account reserve capacities.