“I often find it hard to visualize what various metrics that measure smoke dispersal mean when I look at columns of smoke from the ground. On March 27, I was able to combine data with pictures to fill some of my visualization gaps. For a 45-acre prescribed burn that I and a wonderful group of volunteers conducted near Arena, Wisconsin, my wife Barb photographed the burn from the top of a bluff about 3.5 miles away. Barb managed to photograph the column of smoke from our burn approximately 15 minutes after we ringed the fire. The forecasted smoke-related metrics for 5 PM (we ringed at 4:44 PM) was: Mixing Height of 3,400 feet; Haines Index of 5; NW Transport Wind@18 mph; ventilation rate at 62,000 mph-feet. The bluffs in the back ground are about 250 feet above the burn elevation. Barb provided a rare opportunity to glimpse what the smoke dispersal metrics mean. Enjoy!” – WPFC Chair, Jeb Barzen
