Red Flag Situations in Prescribed Burning

Listed below are certain situations that should serve as warning signals to prescribed burners. If any of the following conditions exist, analyze further before burning!

Underburning:

• No written plan
• No map
• No safety briefing
• Heavy fuels
• Dry duff and soil
• Extended drought
• Inadequate control lines
• No updated weather forecast for area
• Forecast does not agree with prescription
• Poor visibility
• Personnel or equipment stretched thin
• Burning large area using ground ignition
• Communications for all people not available
• No backup plan or forces available
• No one notified of plans to burn
• Behavior of test fire not as prescribed
• A smoke-management system has not been used
• Smoke-sensitive area downwind or down drainage
• Organic soil present
• Daytime Dispersion Index below 40
• Not enough personnel or equipment available to control an escaped fire
• Personnel on fire not qualified take action on escaped fire.

Debris burning(in addition the above):

• Area contains windrows
• A lot of dirt in piles
• Poor nighttime smoke dispersion forecast
• Have not looked down drainage
• Mixing height is below 1,650 feet (500 meters)
• Debris was piled when wet
• Pile exteriors are wet

If any of the following conditions exist, STOP BURNING AND PLOW OUT EXISTING FIRE!

• Fire behavior erratic
• Spot fire or slop-over occurs and is difficult to control
• Wind shifting or other unforeseen change in weather
• Smoke not dispersing as predicted
• Public road or other sensitive area smoked in
• Burn does not comply with all laws, regulations, and standards
• Large fuels igniting and burning, not enough personnel to, mop up before dark and likely to create smoke in a smoke sensitive area