Forest fires are a serious problem during the dry season. The hot temperatures, often accompanied with dry air, can undoubtedly parch dead tree bark and grasslands. In many cases, the results are often catastrophic. Any dry material or vegetation can easily catch fire. Even a lighted cigarette butt, when thrown on a heap of dry grass, could trigger combustion. Such a scenario is often the cause of blazes that consume thousands of acres of land, causing millions of dollars of property damage and even the loss of life.
Prevention by Removal of Fuel Source
Fortunately, there are many ways to prevent these fires or control their spread once they have already occurred. One of the methods effective for preventing and controlling forest fires is to get rid of their fuel source which can include grass, dry timber, and dead leaves. By getting rid of flammable debris around a certain area, a type of defensive barrier from fires would be formed. Without any form of fuel, the fire would not be able to travel through any clearing or opening in the forest.
Removal by Small Tools
In small areas, clearing out combustible debris can be done using rakes and small tools. The task of protecting areas that may stretch up to several acres from the threat of forest fires might require special equipment, such as the tractor grapple, to perform the job.
Removal by Bucket Grapple
The hydraulic bucket grapple is made from fine grade steel that is two times lighter and stronger than the metal used in a standard bucket. The unique features of the metal used make it resistant to twisting and bending while at the same time allowing a higher load capacity. The bucket grapple can easily be attached to a skidder, loader and, more often, to a tractor to form a tractor grapple.
Vehicles with this type of machinery attached make a good combination for clearing debris such as dry weeds and small saplings or trees. The design makes it easy to rake dry weeds down to the roots. Its wide stance allows it to cover more areas at one time. In addition, the wider bucket means there is more space to hold debris. The combination of the tractor’s speed, along with the grapple’s wide bucket design, could drastically cut down on the number of work hours it might take to clear out debris compared to using traditional equipment.
Additional Usefulness of Tines
In addition to its design, there are massive tines on the bucket grapple that can be used for grabbing large, oddly-shaped objects such as dried fallen tree branches and even large rocks. This type of machinery works like gigantic claws that can tightly grip anything this equipment would need to remove. A large, heavy duty hydraulic ram provides the clutching power of the hydraulic bucket grapple. If there are large trees blocking the way of the clearing, then this machine is powerful enough to take them down. The materials used in constructing the bucket grapple, with its powerful hydraulics, are strong and durable enough to resist tough bending or twisting, which also makes it capable of uprooting trees.
The hydraulic bucket grapple is an indispensable tool. There are numerous ways this piece of equipment can be helpful. From forest management to fire prevention, the hydraulic bucket grapple can surely ‘see the forest for the trees’ and help prevent forest fires!
Christopher Hunter is an expert in commercial specialty trucks. If you are interested in learning more about Used Forestry Equipment, go to the main website of First Fleet as shown in the link below.
