The Prescribed Burn Unit Plan is the most important document in the fire planning process. It is required for all broadcast burns. It is a field document that sets forth the details for conducting a particular burn treatment at a particular burn unit. The Prescribed Burn Unit Plan is much more specific than the Site Fire Management Plan. It is also a legal document that details prescription parameters and professional standards to be used in conducting the burn.

Who Prepares and Approves a Prescribed Burn Unit Plan?

The Prescribed Burn Unit Plan is usually prepared by the Burn Boss who will be conducting the burn, but may be prepared by others, such as a Fire Planner or contractor. In-depth familiarity with the fire unit and information and standards presented in this manual are essential to successfully completing the Prescribed Burn Unit Plan.

All Plans must be signed and dated by the preparer and by the Burn Boss before the burn is conducted. The signature of the Burn Boss signifies his/her approval and agreement to abide by its content in conducting the burn. Final approval for the Prescribed Burn Unit Plan is given by the designated Fire Manager for the site. Those approving the plan are responsible for its content.

The person who authors a Prescribed Burn Unit Plan cannot be the sole person to review it. If the Fire Manager is the author of the plan, it must receive a technical review by an RxB2 familiar in the fuel type. The Technical Reviewer does not have to be a Conservancy Burn Boss; staff from other agencies are acceptable as long as they are qualified as an RxB2. The Technical Reviewer must sign the signature page of the plan. The Fire Manager is still the final approver for the plan.

Is There a Standard Prescribed Burn Plan Format?

The Conservancy has a Standard Prescribed Burn Plan form. The format may be customized, but it must contain the following burn plan elements:

• Signature Page
• Geographic location
• Sources of emergency assistance
• Description of the prescribed burn unit area (vegetation type and fuel models by percent of unit; narrative description of unit)
• Goals and objectives
• Fuel and weather prescription
• Desired fire behavior to meet objectives (narrative description)
• Smoke management
• Crew (number and organization)
• Equipment
• Day of burn operations (firebreak prep, ignition plan, holding plan, communications, mop-up standards, public relations)
• Contingency plan (predicted fire behavior for free-running fire, both inside and outside the unit; location, type and response time of emergency resources; secondary control lines)
• Backup source of water delivery
• Safety and medical information
• Documentation (confirmation of required planning, exemptions and justifications for any TNC guidelines)
• Go/No Go Checklist
• Post-burn activities
• Maps

Contractors or public agency cooperators working for or with the Conservancy may have versions of Prescribed Burn Unit Plans covering essentially the same information. Different formats may qualify for this planning requirement provided they include the same minimum elements as the standard Conservancy plan.

How Long is a Prescribed Burn Unit Plan in Effect?

An approved Prescribed Burn Unit Plan is in effect until conditions stated within the plan have changed. If there are no changes in the Prescribed Burn Plan from one burn to the next, it is not necessary to resubmit a new one for each subsequent burn once the Plan has been approved, however, the Prescribed Burn Unit Plan should be reviewed by the Burn Boss before each burn to verify this. Every Burn Boss should complete a new go/no-go checklist prior to igniting any approved burn. If there is any question about the need for an update, check with the Fire Manager.

Can Prescribed Burn Unit Plans Be Modified in the Field?

All burns must be conducted according to the parameters outlined in the approved plan. In rare instances, there may be justification for minor modifications in the field on the day of the burn. The Burn Boss and the Fire Manager must come to an agreement in advance on what changes may be made to a burn unit plan on the day of burn and whether or not the Fire Manager needs to be consulted. All changes made to a plan by a Burn Boss must be documented and justified in writing either on the plan or on the pre-burn checklist. Under no circumstances should any changes be made the day of the burn that do not follow the Conservancy's fire management requirements and guidelines.

Where are Prescribed Burn Unit Plans Filed?

Copies of Prescribed Burn Plans should be archived at the state or preserve level. A copy is also carried into the field during the prescribed burn.

How Are Burn Objectives Set and Met?

The process of meeting burn objectives involves identifying and applying the appropriate fire behavior to produce the desired effect while considering the feasibility of obtaining and managing such a fire.

State burn objectives so that they can be objectively assessed. Burn objectives apply to a particular burn treatment. The burn objectives should be specific enough for the planner to assess what kind of fire is required. Examples are: remove 70% or more of the surface litter; reduce shrubs from 80% canopy cover to a range of 20 to 40%; remove duff to expose mineral soil over 15 to 30 percent of the ground surface to provide suitable seed bed for certain species.

Once the objectives are clearly stated, the next step is an initial approximation of prescribed fire behavior. The problem is to go from an objective such as "remove 70% or more of the surface litter", to fire characteristics required to accomplish that objective. "A fire that will cover 70% or more of the surface area and consume virtually all surface litter" is a start at this approximation. Predictive tools such as BehavePlus and nomograms can help answer questions such as: how dry must fuels be to burn readily and what flame lengths and rate of spread would be associated with a fire that would consume them given certain fuel moisture conditions? Prediction tools, however, are not a substitute for experience. In general, the best way to develop an approximation of what fire characteristics are needed to accomplish burn objectives is to talk to people experienced with fire effects and behavior in the community type to be burned. Published literature may also be helpful.

Next, consider the feasibility of producing the approximated fire behavior and managing a fire of this nature. Begin with an assessment of fuels on the site, and likely weather conditions during the season targeted for burning. Then estimate fire behavior under projected weather and fuel conditions using fire behavior prediction models and guides or other methods.

The process is complete when the Prescribed Burn Unit Plan is refined to a point where your objectives can be met given the probable fuel and weather conditions, and the fire can be safely conducted given legal, personnel, and equipment constraints.

Last updated June 30, 2006