Burns were ignited with a drip torch in a strip head firing pattern. The rate of spread was 6 times faster in fall burns although the temperature was lower and relative humidity higher. Virtually all aboveground biomass was consumed by fire. Fuel consumption was twice as much in the fall burns as in the spring burns. Fires in sagebrush are variable in terms of fuel consumption and fire behavior.
Many factors contribute to variability including fuel characteristics, weather, and topography.
The site was located in John Day Fossil Bed National Monument in T 11 S R 26 E , sections 31 and 32. Both burns were ignited with drip torches using a strip head firing pattern. The frequency of basin big sagebrush increased in spring burns one year after treatment. No increases were noted 2 years after fire in fall-burned units. Basin big sagebrush was completely eliminated by the fall burn.