Land managers throughout the West pile and burn surface fuels to mitigate fire hazard in dry forests. Whereas piling was historically conducted with heavy machinery following commercial harvesting operations, land managers are increasingly prescribing the use of hand piling and burning to treat surface fuels created by thinning and brush cutting. An estimate of the weight of the piled debris to be burned is necessary to assess potential smoke emissions and air quality impacts associated with this practice.
Wright, Clinton S.; Eagle, Paige C.; Balog, Cameron S. 2010. Characterizing hand-piled fuels. Fire Management Today. Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC. 3 p. 70(3) 16-18.