These guidelines establish standards for planned burning activities. All personnel responsible for conducting prescribed burns for The Nature Conservancy must consider each of these guidelines during the burn planning process. Guidelines differ from Fire Management Requirements in that they may not apply to situations such as wildfire suppression. A Guideline can be modified or exempted by the relevant Fire Manager with justification in the relevant Prescribed Burn Plan.

If a guideline is not appropriate for a given burn, an exemption or modification can be made by the Fire Manager in writing within the relevant burn plan. During the review process, the Fire Manager should look for explicit mitigating criteria for the modification or exemption. For example, the use of an engine may not be possible on a prescribed burn due to access limitations; mitigations may include increasing minimum crew size, staging water for packs or bags, or a more moderate weather prescription to take into account the lack of a mechanized water delivery system.

There are 14 Fire Management Guidelines:

1. Fire Shelters

Fire shelters should be available to and worn by all crew members unless the burn plan states and justifies that they are not necessary. There is no blanket exemption for multiple burns. Even on burns where their use is waived, a shelter should be available to any crew member who desires one. Fire Shelters are not required on non-broadcast burns when snow or surrounding fuels clearly prevents possible spread of fire beyond the piles.

2. Communications

All burns (broadcast and non-broadcast) must have a cellular phone or other reliable way to communicate in the event of an emergency. All broadcast burns must have two-way radios. At a minimum there must be a radio for the burn boss, each line boss/squad boss, and each engine.

A backup water delivery system must be available for all burns (broadcast and non-broadcast) on which containment is dependent on mechanized water delivery. The exact nature of the backup water system is dependent on the individual burn and must be described in the burn plan. Backup systems may include, for example, an engine, an ATV with a spray rig, and/or portable pumps and hose. The intent of this guideline is to ensure a reasonable backup water supply is available in case of mechanical or vehicle failure of the primary water source. Where appropriate, other standby mechanized fire suppression equipment may be used for backup, such as a dozer.

4. Weather Forecast

All burns (broadcast and non-broadcast) must have a professional weather forecast obtained the day of the burn that predicts appropriate weather consistent with the weather prescription of the approved Prescribed Burn Plan.

5. Burning After Dark

If a burn (broadcast or non-broadcast) is expected to begin or continue after dusk, it must be so stated and approved in the burn plan. No burn operations should continue after dark unless each crew member has a headlamp or other light source. The permitting/authorization processes of some states may be more restrictive than this guideline. This information should be covered in the Review of Laws and Regulations.

All burns (broadcast and non-broadcast) must monitor Wind Speed at intervals while actively burning. Broadcast burns must also monitor Wind Direction, Relative Humidity, and air Temperature at intervals throughout the burn. Tables, computer programs, fuel sticks, or direct measurement tools are used to estimate the most relevant burn-time fuel moisture, such as Fine Dead Fuel Moisture, for comparing actual weather observations to the approved weather prescription.

7. Crew Size

All broadcast burns should have at least 6 qualified personnel, including the Burn Boss. Adequate numbers of personnel will serve needed functions on a burn, including: command, ignition, holding, contingency initial attack, and other (spotters, weather and fire behavior monitoring, communications). Qualified personnel may serve multiple operational functions as directed by the Burn Boss. No individual should directly oversee more than six crew members (span of control).

Non-broadcast burns should have at least 2 personnel, including a burn leader meeting the minimum qualifications required by the relevant Prescribed Burn Plan.

8. Burn Size

Urban broadcast burns should not exceed 100 acres. Urban burns are those within 1/2 mile of a town limit or urban population center of >5,000 population. The management of smoke is the primary focus of concern for this criterion.

9. Crew Briefing

Before ignition, the Burn Boss or the non-broadcast burn leader will conduct a crew briefing for all personnel on the burn.

10. Test Fire

A test fire should precede all broadcast burns.

11. Post-Burn Critique/After Action Review

A post-burn critique to discuss the day's operations should follow every burn. The After Action Review (AAR) found in the Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG) can be followed or another suitable format may be used. The Burn Boss or non-broadcast burn leader should capture the key lessons learned from the burn, especially what went well and what went poorly. Capturing these in writing fosters further reflection, leading to learning and improvement for future burns.

12. Post-Burn Departure

All burns (broadcast and non-broadcast) must be monitored until they are completely out. It is the responsibility of the Burn Boss or non-broadcast burn leader to determine when it is safe to dismiss the crew and to assign personnel to monitor the fire. The criteria for this decision should be included in the burn plan.

13. Burn Documentation

Documentation for all burns will be retained for a minimum of three years; or longer as directed by any business need for the information. Burn documentation for broadcast and non-broadcast burns will include:

• Prescribed Burn Plan – a copy of the reviewed and approved plan must be on-site and available for personnel to review
• Go/NoGo Checklist – a completed checklist is signed and dated by the burn boss or non-broadcast burn leader; post-burn checklists may be separate and completed later than the Go/NoGo, Briefing, and Test Fire checklists
• Burn Unit Map – a map of the actual area(s) burned and an indication of any changes made to the planned burn area; non-broadcast burns may use general preserve or area maps
• Weather forecast – paper or electronic copy of the forecast consulted before burning
• On-site weather – weather readings and observations taken at or near the burn area as-needed, before, during, and after the burn
• Crew roster – names and affiliation of all personnel participating in the burn, including observers and supervised participants
• Org chart – arrangement and organization of burn personnel; non-broadcast burns do not require org charts unless more than seven personnel are involved
• Timeline – a record of the date and times of key events of the burn, including crew briefing, test fire, ignition, mop-up, incidents of note, and post-burn departure.
• Fire behavior – photos, video, or written notes of Rate of Spread (ROS) and Flame Length (FL) in dominant fuel types; non-broadcast burns do not require fire behavior monitoring
• Burn Objectives – qualitative notes of fire behavior and first-order fire effects relative to the goals and objectives listed in the burn plan or Incident Action Plan (IAP)

14. Drones on Burns

The use of drones on burns must be:

• Listed in the burn unit plan or in an IAP developed by the burn boss or non-broadcast burn leader
• Operated by a person with the appropriate FAA license
• Integrated into the org chart and communications plan of the burn
• Included in crew briefings and relevant safety messages
• Incorporated into landowner permissions for burns off of TNC owned or managed lands

Last updated December 19, 2024.