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Do wire fences stop ground fires?

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Five meshes (1/8 to 1 inch) of 16-gauge steel wire fences, 3 feet high, were tested as possible ground fire barriers in 4 fuel types. The 1/8-inch mesh stopped only 1 test fire but retarded others; 1/4-inch mesh retarded some. The results suggest that further trials may be worthwhile.

Citation

Murphy, James L.; Schime, Harry E. 1965. Do wire fences stop ground fires? Res. Note PSW-RN-070. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 4 p
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/33558