Planning and Conducting Prescribed Burns
Prescribed fire is a complex tool and should only be used only by properly trained individuals. Proper diagnosis and detailed planning are needed for every area where burning is contemplated. The incomplete assessment of any factor can pose serious liability questions should the fire escape or its smoke cause damage. A prescribed fire that does not accomplish its intended objectives is a loss of both time and money and it may be necessary to reburn as soon as sufficient fuel accumulates. Some resource management objectives can be met with a single fire, some require several fires in quick succession, and some can only be accomplished by burning perodically.
Once concepts of weather and fuels, firing techniques, and smoke management are understood, managers can begin to plan a prescribed burn. The following steps on planning, preparing, executing, and evaluating prescribed burns will give readers a general idea of the process, but are not meant to replace basic training in fire management. A variety of courses offered by various private, state, and federal institutions are available for this purpose. The information provided in the following links is excerpted from the widely used publication: A Guide For Prescribed Fire In Southern Forests (USDA Forest Service 1989).
- Planning a Prescribed Burn
- Preparing for a Prescribed Burn
- Executing a Prescribed Burn
- Evaluating a Prescribed Burn
The concepts discussed in these four steps are summarized in the following rules of thumb:
Most importantly, dangerous situations that should warn managers not to start a prescribed burn or to stop one that has already underway are in the following list:
Encyclopedia ID: p539
