Compost in Fire Remediation and Prevention
Fires are a natural part of California's ecosystem, but their destruction can be mitigated and remediated with compost.
Research
Compost as Post-Fire Erosion Control Treatments and Their Effect on Runoff Water Quality
ABSTRACT. Erosion from fire-damaged wildlands poses a significant water quality concern. Deprived of vegetation, runoff intensifies, which escalates exports of sediments and other pollutants. Used as mulches, composts shield the soil surface and reduce runoff by absorbing water and promoting infiltration. This field study considered three types of compost used as mulches following the controlled burn of coastal sage scrub vegetation.
AUTHORS: D. M. Crohn, V. N. Chaganti, N. Reddy
Compost Use Best Management Practices and Fire Damaged Soils
This report presents the results of a research project that evaluated ways to conserve water and protect water quality as related to compost production and application. The project has four related objectives. The first objective considers the use of compost for remediating fire-damaged soils; the second looks at compost blankets as a means of restoring soils damaged by construction activity; the third investigates a potential Best Management Practice (BMP) for minimizing water pollution from compost operations, including a calculator developed to estimate a compost pile’s potential water holding capacity; and the fourth is a literature review conducted on several topics related to the beneficial use of compost.
Straw Wattle and Compost Filter Sock Performance Report for Retaining Stormwater Contaminants following the 2018 Camp Fire
The goal of the study is to analyze and compare the performance of straw wattles and compost filter socks to retain contaminants from stormwater runoff after the 2018 Camp Fire. The straw wattle and compost filter sock samples studied in this research were deployed during the 2018 Camp Fire throughout the town of Paradise where they remained throughout the rainy season until collection in 2019. Sediment samples near these products were also collected and analyzed for contaminant concentrations to compare with the concentrations found in deployed products. This study characterized trace metals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and polychlorinated dibenzop-dioxins and furans (PCDD/F, also known as dioxins and furans) in these straw wattle, compost filter sock, and sediment samples.
Comparing the Ignitability of Mulch Materials for a Firewise Landscape
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension tested a series of organic mulches for flammability, including pine needles, bark nuggets, shredded bark, grass sod, decomposed granite (DG), garden compost, wood chips, and wheat straw. Conclusions included: "Dense, finely ground/screened materials such as the garden compost and the shredded bark proved to have excellent fire-proofing characteristics."
The Combustibility of Landscape Mulches
The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension developed a study on the combustibility of various landscape mulches. Conclusions included, "With the exception of the composted wood chips, all of the mulch treatments demonstrated active flaming combustion. Composted wood chips produced only incidental flaming with smoldering as the primary form of combustion."