Blackline is an innovative line of equipment for burning fire control lines:
• Safely
• Effectively
• Efficiently
• Economically
Burning fire control lines with Blackline:
• Decreases the risks and limitations associated with using
blacklines as fire control lines.
• Expands weather parameters acceptable for creating blacklines.
• Reduces time-line pressures and fire staff fatigue when creating
blacklines.
• Affords total control over the burning process, which can be aborted
at any time.
• Speeds up the blacklining process.
• Requires less labor.
• Requires fewer backup resources.
• Does not promote soil erosion, as does grading.
• Allows you to make a firebreak of any width.
• Does not create a seedbed for opportunistic weeds or exotic species,
as does grading.
Blackline is an effective tool for:
• Containing prescribed fire treatments.
• Preventing the spread of wildfires.
Using Blackline accomplishes National Fire Plan and HFRA objectives.
Blackline is a heavy-duty, vehicle-drawn apparatus used for burning blacklines when:
• The area where the blackline is required is navigable by vehicle.
• The distances involved are large.
Use Blackline to burn fire control lines:
• In parks, reserves, and national grasslands.
• On farms and ranches.
• In wildland-urban interfaces.
• Alongside freeways.
• Between plantations.
• Near hazardous sites.
Some applications for Blackline:
• Creating fire control lines prior to doing prescribed burning.
• Creating firebreaks around plantations where grading is
contraindicated due to root sensitivity e.g. protea farms.
• Creating or maintaining airfield-perimeter firebreaks.
Blackline has two components:
• The Blackline Burner is the primary (required) component that ignites
dry vegetation within an enclosed, controlled area.
• The Blackline Afterburner is an optional component that extends
the enclosed burning area, thereby increasing operational speed.
The Blackline Burner consists of:
• A burning system—an enclosed burning chamber with three propane
burners, mounted on skids.
• A water system—adjustable spray heads alongside the burning
chamber.
Positions of key components of the Blackline Burner
What the Blackline Burner does: › Dry vegetation is ignited by the gas burners mounted at the front of
the burning chamber. › Burning occurs safely within the confines of the chamber. Flames are
kept inside the burning chamber by a positive upward draft. (The
chamber has sloped sides and air vents at the base.) › Water from the adjustable spray heads provides an additional level of
control by creating a wet line on either side of the burning chamber.
This prevents the sideways spread of flames as the Blackline Burner
moves forward. › Drawn behind a low-gear vehicle, the Blackline Burner burns a 53-inch
wide blackline. › Depending on the wind and the fuel load, speed can be increased
—trailing flames can safely burn out within the confines of the
wet line alone. › By successively burning parallel blacklines, and then doing a
controlled burn between these blacklines, you can make a firebreak of
any width.
The Blackline Afterburner consists of:
• An enclosed burning chamber (without gas burners) mounted on
skids.
• A water system—adjustable spray heads alongside the burning
chamber.
What the Blackline Afterburner does: › The optional Afterburner is hitched behind the Burner to extend the
enclosed burning area. › It allows you to increase operating speed without compromising
safety. Trailing flames that would then otherwise be exposed can
now burn out within the confines of the Afterburner. › The Afterburner is recommended when fuel loads are heavy or it is
windy (and operational speed is important).
The Blackline Burner is pulled by a low-gear vehicle such as:
• A tractor
• A 4x4 pickup truck
• A Mercedes Unimog
The following auxiliary equipment is required:
• A propane tank with fittings for liquid withdrawal.
• An independent water supply (water sprayer) with water tank, pump,
and high-pressure handgun.
The auxiliary equipment cannot be carried on the Blackline Burner or Afterburner. It can be carried on:
• The towing vehicle (a tractor may require a platform such as a
modified three-point hitch).
• A trailer directly behind the towing vehicle.
