Conducting

Conducting puts you within the crew during the actual prescribed burn. Observe first-hand as landowners and crews conduct prescribed burns.

After completing Conducting, you should be able to:

describe safety procedures
compile weather data for a specific day
identify equipment needed during the prescribed fire
summarize steps for setting, controlling, and mopping up the prescribed fire.

eFIRE Guided Experience: 1.5-2 hours of study + assessment with multiple choice, fill in the blank, and ordering questions

Fire Techniques

There are several different ways in which fire can be applied to the ground fuels of an area. Each type behaves differently and achieves a specific objective. Factors including fire techniques, weather, and fuels can produce different fire behavior.

Fire Techniques

Case Study: Fire Behavior

The Process

When the prescribed conditions come together, the burn boss and crew gather at the location for the prescribed burn and go through the following steps prior to ignition.

Burn Crew and Roles: Burn Boss assigns roles to crew members.

Review the Burn Plan and Map: Burn Boss reviews the burn plan with the crew and distributes maps to each member.

Equipment: Check all equipment for working order and safety. Burn Boss instructs crew on proper operation of equipment and use of hand tools.

Weather: Evaluate weather conditions before the burn and update during the burn.

Smoke: Evaluate potential smoke conditions.

Check control lines: Check control lines and clear any debris.

Notify adjoining property owners: Notify adjoining property owners prior to the burn and again on the day of the burn before the crew briefing.

Call in: When the burn boss determines that all conditions are go for the burn, he or she calls in the prescribed burn to the local authorities, providing location and permit number.

Instruct Crew on Procedures: Burn Boss instructs the crew on procedures for the burn.

Challenges: Burn Boss points out challenges.

Safety: Burn Boss reviews safety precautions with crew.

Expectations: Burn Boss shares expectations for the burn.

Test Burn: Burn Boss sets a small fire to check fire and smoke behavior to determine that they match expectations. If these are not acceptable, Burn Boss cancels the prescribed burn. Burn Boss notes the results of test burn and decision on the Burn Plan.

Ignition: Burn Boss initiates and directs the ignition of the prescribed fire.

Mopup: Mopup of control lines and safety zones continues throughout the burn. Final mopup ensures that the fire has exhausted the fuel and has burned out

Join the Crew

Join landowners and crews conducting prescribed burns in various environments. Experience the day of the burn. Observe the process from calling in the burn, reviewing the plan, assigning roles, checking equipment, stepping into the fields and setting the test fire, then establishing the safety zones with firebreaks and border burns. Finally, watch, listen and learn as fires are set to accomplish the prescription for the property.

Visit all of the case study locations to get the full story for conducting a burn. During your observations you will see a broad range of approaches to prescribed burns.