The Division of Forestry uses the helicopter for efficient and cost effective burning of large acre controlled burns. Ping pong ball-sized spheres ignite when they hit the ground.

ROSS COUNTY, OH - The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry implemented an aerial ignition technique for a prescribed burn on November 6, which allowed the state to safely and efficiently manage one of Ohio's valuable forests.
 
ODNR Division of Forestry flew a helicopter with a delayed aerial ignition device (DAID) over portions of Tar Hollow State Forest Thursday to aid in a 481-acre controlled burn. The DAID, or ping-pong ball system, allowed foresters to ignite specific sections of a designated burn area with precision from the air.
 
"We use the helicopter for burns over 200 acres because it helps us achieve an even ignition across the landscape and it cuts operation costs," said Mike Bowden, fire control and wildfire training specialist for the ODNR Division of Forestry. "It cuts the amount of manpower necessary for the grueling work, and it speeds the process, reducing not only the amount of time the forest actually burns, but also the amount of staff time."
 

A low intensity fire set from spheres dropped from a helicopter will consume leaf litter and small woody stems. Vegetation that inhibits oak tree regeneration is burned as well. Oaks are valuable wildlife food sources and are adapted to fire due to their tap roots, ability to re-sprout, as well as thick bark on larger trees

The larger the prescribed burn, the greater the savings the use of the helicopter can generate. A large burn could take several days if conducted solely by hand, but the use of the aerial ignition allows the job to be completed in a single day.
 
"This burn, which took about five hours, would have taken a lot more people and a lot more time if the entire fire had been hand-lit," said Bowden.
 
The DAID works by combining two chemicals, which react thermally, in small plastic balls. As the balls jettison from the aircraft, the reaction produces flames that consume the balls as they fall to earth.
 

Ash from burned leaves is contrasted with newly fallen red oak leaves. Burned vegetation releases nutrients into the soil for use by plants, and reduces the risk of a wildfire under hot, dry, or windy weather conditions

Historically, fire has played a key role in the development of Ohio's forests. A carefully planned, intentionally ignited fire can be a very productive land management tool. The team of highly-trained forestry professionals coordinated the Tar Hollow prescribed burn to reduce forest litter that could fuel larger, more catastrophic fires, and to encourage resurgence of native oak tree species.
 
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site at www.ohiodnr.gov.
 

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For further information, contact:
Greg Smith, ODNR Division of Forestry
614. 439. 6297
Beth Ruth, ODNR Media Relations
614. 265. 6860