The Bamboo Patch

Thanks to the recent lifting of the burning ban we were able to get out and do some much needed burning of a bamboo patch to try to reclaim a significant portion of one of our fields on the Thurmond Chatham Game Lands.

Jim started the day by starting a small "test fire" so we could evaluate conditions.

After determining that the conditions were favorable and that the field would burn, we proceeded with lighting the field around the bamboo patch to give us a good amount of "black" around the bamboo patch.

* Note the bamboo in the background.

Once the majority of the field was black, we began dripping fire closer to the bamboo itself and once it got started it burned very well.



Bamboo tends to burn quite impressively. It makes very loud popping and cracking noises as it burns. A quick watch and listen (make sure speakers are on) to this small video will give you an idea!

After the fire burnt through the majority of the patch we began "mop up". This is where we extinguish any hotspots and/or open flame so as to not allow for flare ups or spot overs (getting out of the intended burn area) after we leave the area.


The bamboo burnt quite hot in the very middle of the patch and eliminated almost every single stalk of the bamboo. The outer edges still had some standing plants but due to the heat of the fire most of them were likely killed. Sometime in the near future we will likely push these remaining stalks over to get them on the ground and burn them to completely reclaim the field.


More pictures and videos of the bamboo patch burning can be found HERE.