From now on till early March. I help them burn with a hand held blower. As it is very wet it's only the smoke that will bother you. Have a check to see if any birds are nesting in it.

How about just using a sharp pear of shears and thick gloves? Although Cortaderia selloana (which comes from the Pampas of Argentina) has a degree of fire adaptation, it isn't actually that necessary for the well being of the plant. If the burn becomes too intense, you will actually destroy some growing points.

Remember that in this case at least in the wild state, fire clears away old plants for seedlings to germinate in the spaces created, the ash being rich in phosphates helps the new seedlings in their early stages.