Extreme heat across the Pine Ridge in Nebraska, the western High Plains, foothills and some parts of the Mountain States have led to concerns over wildfires. Doak Nickerson, Nebraska Forest Service Northwest District forester, says the Pine Ridge has experienced the perfect storm when it comes to wildfire danger.

Fresh off extreme wildfires that scorched the area in 2012, rains that followed in subsequent years allowed the region to grow a tremendous amount of grass, Nickerson says. While this allowed recovery from the fires and prevented soil erosion, particularly on burned parcels, it also provided a large amount of grass fuel that could become the starter for future fires.

PREVENTING THE BURN: During the heat of summer and early fall, producers are urged to take extreme caution to prevent wildfires when cutting and thinning trees and brush in their woods and pastures.

Combine that with diminished cow herds from the 2012 drought and wildfires, and ranchers do not often have the numbers of cattle necessary to make full use of the grass resource. "Baling excess forages works well on level ground; but in the rugged terrain, cows and calves are our best grass fuel managers," Nickerson says.

In the early parts of this summer, lightning fires have already sprung up in the general vicinity of the Pine Ridge around Torrington, Wyo., and Edgemont, S.D., with each fire burning more than 20,000 acres of prairie. This illustrates the need for ranchers and loggers to take great care to prevent wildfires when they are working in their pastures and woods.

Carry firefighting tools. Many logging and brush-thinning operations bring water on board while working in the woods in the form of a power washer. The power washer serves dual purposes in cleaning chaff and dust from equipment, and helping soak small fires in a pinch. Nickerson says that individuals using chain saws in rougher terrain often pack small fire extinguishers and short-handled shovels in their backpacks as tools to put out fires that could pop up.

Operate during "hoot owl" hours. Hoot owls are out generally during the evening and night hours, so Nickerson advises those conducting logging and thinning operations in the woods to work at the same time as the owls. "Our loggers generally go out early, at first sunup, when the temperatures are lower and the humidity is usually a little higher," Nickerson says. "Depending on the thermometer, they might work until about 8 or 10 a.m., and then shut down during the heat of the day. Sometimes, they might crank up again a couple of hours before sunset, but that depends on weather conditions." Working during these cooler hours lessens the chances for sparks from operations igniting fires.

Stay with machines for an hour after shutdown. "These logging and cutting machines work hard, on steep terrain, so they heat up quickly," Nickerson says. "The hydraulics work harder on mountainous terrain; and here in the Pine Ridge, there is a carpet of grass, needles, cones and sawdust on the ground, so the hot engines, hydraulics and pumps can contact dry fuel on the ground." He says that observing machines for an hour after shutdown gives the machines and parts time to cool off, making them less likely to ignite a fire. Machines should also be parked and shut down on a closely mown firebreak or bare ground. Gas-burning vehicles with catalytic converters driving through tinder-dry grass can also quickly ignite the prairie, so Nickerson encourages keeping those vehicles on the road away from pastures and woods.