Used Forestry Equipment

Technology, equipment help battle Holly Shelter fire

It has dropped thousands of incendiary bombs, each about the size of a ping-pong ball, to set backfires as part of a strategy to strip the blaze of vegetation it needs to burn and grow.

A CL-215, a twin-engine, amphibious aircraft designed to swoop down over a lake or river and suck water into its tank, also has dumped thousands of gallons onto the county's flames during early suppression operations. The plane waits on standby should the fire thwart containment efforts and spread again.

Then, there is a gaggle of Ford F-450s, pickups fitted with utility beds built to haul a plethora of tools, that traveled from out of state to patrol firebreaks at night. The job, officials say, is critical to spotting flames that jump across containment trenches dug along the fire's southern advance, a volatile area that poses the biggest risk to thousands of houses in Topsail and Hampstead.

The blaze that has eaten up nearly 48 square miles of Holly Shelter Game Land has offered a glimpse into the gadgetry available to modern-day wild land firefighters. It defines an age where battling fires seems as much about science as it is about shear physical manpower.

"Everything from the clothing to the equipment – there's a lot of technology and research that goes into a fire," said Diane Steltz, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Division of Forest Resources, which is leading firefighting actions against what has been officially dubbed the Juniper Road Fire. "It's definitely not a static business. It does change."

Emergency management officials working on the fire have adopted a common containment strategy that includes engagements from land and air.

Firefighters clad in yellow and green fire-resistant suits have toiled since the blaze started June 19 to contain it by encircling the perimeter with trenches.

In the process, they have turned over the thick vegetation into soil that is less prone to burning.

Meanwhile, scout planes have conducted reconnaissance missions. Aircraft have dumped buckets of water to overwhelm hot spots. And on Tuesday, a Huey dropped 10,000 incendiary balls on an area to the fire's south in a successful operation to burn out more than 8,000 acres of fuel sources and buttress containment.

The balls, which are made of plastic and filled with a chemical compound named potassium permanganate, are dropped from the aircraft through a machine mounted to the floor. The machine injects each ball with a small amount of store-bought undiluted antifreeze, which ignites a chain reaction that causes the ball to catch fire and implode when it hits the ground.

Studio Six » Forestry equipment safety tips

Logging is probably one of the most risky types of occupations as it has reported a lot accidents and serious injuries while in the working area. However it is significant that workers be oriented most especially with the forestry equipment safety tips to minimize fatalities brought about by poor handling of the common types of equipments that are used in logging.

It is a must that all operators of the different logging equipments utilized in the forestry area must be competent individuals. They have to have undergone proper training on how each machine is driven. Through this, they’ll be able to know how to safely operate the equipment so that they will not be harmed not to mention they will not be able to injure others as well.

Proper inspection must be done before any operation is performed. You must know how to check out the condition of the equipment so that it will not cause any trouble while you are at work and with other co-workers in the region. Remember to check out whether all areas is functional.

You must have all the safety accessories needed when operating this sort of equipment. You must put up warning devices and signs that will inform other people that operation are ongoing. You must have a fire extinguisher ready so that can out the fire. This is a common incident especially when the engine overheats.

You have to also wear the appropriate clothes or vests for work. You must have the helmet to protect your head from hard falling objects. Be watchful always most especially when you are handling trees and cutting them down.

Fundamental essentials safety tips on logging equipment operation . By following these pointers, you will be confident that operation is successful. Nobody will be harmed and never a single machine will be damaged. Gain in knowledge about this matter at http://forestry-equipment.org/.

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