FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 2, 2020

For More Information:
Glenville State College
Public Relations Department
(304) 462-4115

GLENVILLE, WV – Fighting fire with fire: Glenville State College (GSC) students in the Department of Land Resources’ Fire Protection course teamed up with the West Virginia Division of Forestry (WVDOF) recently to learn about the devastating effects of wildfires and how fires from controlled burns are a vital tool in the line of defense against an uncontrolled burning landscape.

Wildfires, appropriately named, travel in uncontrolled directions based on weather conditions and fuel sources, leaving miles of devastation behind them. Controlled burns are fires that are started intentionally from suppression lines to lessen the fuel loads. When combined, the two fires, controlled and uncontrolled, meet and starve each other from lack of fuel.

Students in the course learned the importance of personal protective equipment, especially when working in close proximity with the fires, the various hand tools used when working with controlled burns, and how to prepare and safely operate a drip torch. The workshop addressed topics in fire suppression, nutrient management, forest management, and wildlife management. The skills gained in the workshop will assist students in the S-130 and S-190 Wildland Fire Training Course that is required of all firefighters before they can work on the fire lines.

The training provided by the WVDOF was instructed by Service Forester and GSC alumnus Jesse King.