Red House Rx ATV Burn Damage 2023

On Saturday, February 25, on the Red House/Crusher Prescribed Fire on the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, while nearing completion of blacklining, a lead igniter on a Honda ATV with a rear-mounted electronic torch, stalled out on rocks in tall grass while adding depth to blacklines on the west side of the unit. The flashy fuels were actively heading and flanking away from the strip, leaving little time for the ATV operator to move the vehicle before it was impacted by the strip fire they had just lit. Holding crews, located 30-40 yards away, saw the operator struggling with the machine and immediately sent three UTVs with water tanks and pumps to assist the operator. This quick action minimized damage to the ATV. The operator was able to easily walk into lighter unburned fuels as the UTV crews arrived and the fire around the ATV was controlled. The ATV showed indications of some heat impact on the front and rear fender flairs but was otherwise undamaged.

RLS, Prescribed Fire, Vehicle Burn Damage, All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Incident, Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) Incident