RE: Fire as management tool.
I hope that you have the local/state forestry reps involved when you try this. Grass fires are one thing, to keep an area in grass, but timber fires require much more skill, preparation and knowledge. If things get out of control you can do what a local did: just tell the fire department that your wife was smoking carelessly.
He took crap for months after but at least he didn' t get charged.
Dan O.