Live poison ivy and dead poison ivy are equally bad. Killing the vines prevents the spread to new areas but that is the only problem it solves. The oil is what your skin is reacting to and the oil stays on the stems, vines, etc.

So mechanical removal is the best plan. You can mechanically remove when they are dead or alive, one way you use chemicals first, the other way you don't.

My advice is find people who are confirmed to not have hypersensitivity reactions to poison ivy oil and have them be involved in the removal.. Burning is not an attractive option due to smoke born carriage of the oil droplets.

Also the oil stays on the tools used in mechanical removal and can transmit to other people even months later.

Remember oil transmission through gloves, clothing etc is also a good way for spouses to get poison ivy when that clothes is handled later.

I'd love to see this thread be expanded to include the best ways to remove the oil, and for others to share the best way to treat the poison ivy once the rash is in place.