• Texas Department of Agriculture Prescribed Burn Plan Templates
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Private Land Prescribed Burn Plan

• Find a Certified and Insured Prescribed Burn Manager
• Prescribed Burn Training Courses and Continuing Fire Training Courses
• Find a Prescribed Burn Associations in Texas
• Texas A&M Forest Service list of Forestry Vendors

• Mapping burn unit boundary and acreage
• Coordinates of burn unit
• 911 address of property

• Objectives

   
• Texas Wildfire Risk - Hazardous Fuel Reduction
• NPS - Hazardous Fuel Reduction
• Forest Management or Silviculture - Prescribed_Burning_for_Woody_Control
• Forest Management or Silviculture - Overview_of_Prescribed_Burning
• Range Management - tpwd.texas.gov
• Range Management - Extension.org
• Site Preparation
• Wildlife Habitat

 

• Management Goals

   
• Texas A&M Forest Service- Manage Forest Land
• Texas A&M Agrilife Extension - Living with Texas fire
• Texas A&M Agrilife Extension - Ecosystems Science and Management
• Texas Parks and Wildlife
• Fire Science Exchange Network
• Tall Timbers Research Station – E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database
• Book: Conducting Prescribed Fires

A prescribed burn plan describes the area to be burned. It outlines the size of the unit, fuels within the unit, and fire breaks to be used. It also lists the personnel and equipment needed to prepare the fire breaks, ignite the burn, and properly hold the burn within the fire breaks.

• Burn Unit Interior Description

The burn unit description is a description of the location and size of each of the fuel types/fuel model and their conditions. This requires mapping the fuels and one site investigation of their characteristics. The conditions of the fuels that will be required for the burn to take place are outlined in a different section called the prescription. 

• Map My Property
• Plan My Land Operation
• Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal 
• Aids to Determining Fuel Models

• Fire Break Description

 These elements describe the time and conditions that will exist for the burn to occur.

• Season, Dates, Time of Day
  • Texas A&M Agrilife Extension- Prescribed Range Burning in Texas
  • Southern Fire Exchange - Plan your burn
   

This section outlines the window of weather conditions that must exist for the prescribed burn to take place. Preferred weather conditions may be included as well. Determining the correct allowable weather conditions for specific prescribed burn is a complicated balance between those conditions that are required by law, conditions that will allow fuels to ignite within the unit and successfully achieve management goals, and conditions that will minimize risk of an escape. These weather conditions also play a role in what happens to the smoke produced by a prescribed fire, but the specific variables that influence smoke are usually outlined in a separate section called Smoke Management.

• Temperature minimum and maximum- above freezing to minimize preheating of vegetation and cool enough to prevent worker fatigue.
• Relative humidity minimum and maximum- maximum relative humidity that will support a successful burn varies based on fuel and region while minimum relative humidity for burning is based on safety as this influences fire behavior and potential for spot fires.
• Surface (20 foot) wind speed minimum and maximum- allowable surface wind speeds are listed in TCEQ rules for outdoor burning and must be between 6* mph and 23 mph (5* mph on the low end for TDA CIPBM). 
• Mid-flame wind speed minimum and maximum- a calculated value that varies based on vegetation, but this value helps burn managers better predict fire behavior and is often listed along with surface wind.
• Surface wind direction(s)- wind directions are set by the burn manager to minimize risk of an escape fire and based on smoke management concerns, including TCEQ rules of sensitive structures.
• Transport wind speed- effects smoke dispersion as well as if and how smoke will travel.
• Transport wind direction(s)- effects direction smoke will travel.
• Mixing height (minimum)- the mixing height is the maximum elevation that rapid vertical mixing occurs in the atmosphere. It determines how high smoke will travel and is influenced by the stability of the atmospheric conditions. Instability in the atmosphere supports increased fire behavior.
• Category day- is a numeric value from 1 to 5 that indicates the vent rate as derived from the Ventilation Index System. Its value takes into account Mixing height and transport wind making it a reliable predictor of smoke dispersion.

 Determining weather parameters for a prescribed burn plan: these links are helpful in explaining the complex factors involved in determining the proper weather conditions for conducting a prescribed burn.

• Texas A&M Agrilife Extension- Prescribed Range Burning in Texas
• Intro to Prescribed Fire in Southern Ecosystems (Page 19)
• NOAA Fire Weather
• Find your NWS Forecast Office
• Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Weather
• Southern Fire Exchange
• Detailed Point Weather Forecasts
• Prescribed Burn Associations of Texas
• Texas A&M Forest Service Guide to Percentiles and Thresholds
• Texas A&M Forest Service Guide to National Fire Danger Rating System
• Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Danger Fact Sheet

 This section of the prescription explains the conditions within the burn unit and describes the range of fuel conditions that must be in place for the prescribed burn to occur.

• Elevation- usually listed a one value or the minimum and maximum elevations found on the site.
• Slope and position on slope- listed as the average slope or a more detailed description and often includes position on the slope and aspect in areas will greater topography.
• Fuel model(s)- in prescribed fire prescriptions it is important to identify the vegetation that exists on site by categorizing the fuel model that most closely matches it and then describing the characteristics of that fuel model that will exist on the day of the burn.
• Cover type- cover type is the category of vegetation that is on the site and is characterized by the vegetation community rather than its actual predicted fire behavior. Cover type is simpler way to identify the vegetation that exists and is a good start to determining the fuel model.
• Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal
• Fuel Model- categories that represent the vegetation condition based on how will fire burns and travel. These models are essential if predicting how fire will behave in a given area.
• Texas Wildland Fuels- Fuel Model Guide
• USFS Aids to Determining Fuel Models
• Fuel Moisture Minimum and Maximum- fuel moisture influences the vegetation that is available for a fire to consume and there for directly effects fire behavior and the results of the burn. Allowable fuel moisture on the wet end effect a fires ability to move across the unit. Allowable fuel moisture on the dry end effect large diameter fuel ignition and smoke output as well as safety from a fire behavior and escape fire standpoint. Dead fuel moisture are separated into classes basing on diameter of the vegetation which determines length of time for it to change moisture when the environment changes. Dead fuel moisture is separated into species or vegetation type.
• Forecast 1 hr Fuel Moisture Map
• Forecast 10 hr Fuel Moisture Map
• Observed 100 hr Fuel Moisture Map
• Forecast 100 hr Fuel Moisture Map
• Live Fuel Moisture
• Critical Thresholds for Wildland fuels by Region
• Texas A&M Forest Service Grass Fuel Type Projections
• Texas A&M Forest Service Guide to Percentiles and Thresholds
• Percent Cover - is a value that describes the amount of vegetation other than bare mineral soil and it influences fire behavior.
• Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal
• Fuel Load and Distribution - is the measurement of the biomass on a given unit of land. Often measured in tons per acre it helps predict the vegetation that will be consumed. It influences fire behavior and the smoke that is produced.
• Fuel Loading in Forests
• Texas A&M Agrilife Extension- Native Grassland Monitoring and Management (page 7)
• USFS National Guide to Average Fuel Loading
• Soil Moisture - effects the fuel moisture of live vegetation and is a useful indicator of potential fire behavior and risk of escape fire.
• Keetch-Byrum Drought Index (KBDI)
• Critical Thresholds for Wildland fuels by Region
• Time since rainfall- time since rainfall has historically been a simple method for managers to estimate fuel moisture and potential fire behavior.
  
  • Texas A&M Forest Service Predictive Services
   

 This section provides a description of the fire behavior that is expected based on the conditions outline in the prescription. Values are provided as the minimum and maximum fire behavior that can be expected given that the prescription allows for a window of potential environmental conditions.

• Flame Length- is the length of the flames from the tip of the flame to the midpoint of the flame footprint. This value helps anticipate fire effects and appropriate design of fire breaks.
• Rate of Spread- rate of spread is a measure of the distance a fire will travel over time. It is controlled by the fuel model, fuel moisture, and weather conditions.
• Fireline Intensity- the heat energy release by a flaming front. Expressed as BTU per second per foot. 

Determining fire behavior:- these links are helpful in determining fire behavior and how it pertains to planning a successful prescribed burn. Values are usually derived from the tables in the Fireline Handbook’s appendix B or using the software BehavePlus.

• Fireline handbook appendix B
• Texas A&M Forest Service Grass Fuel Type Projections
• Southern Fire Exchange- Prescribed Fire Fact Sheets
• Prescribed Burn Association of Texas - Fire Behavior
• Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal
• BehavePlus Fire Modeling System

This section allows burn managers to provide a description of areas that are adjacent to the burn unit. The characteristics of these adjacent is important information to have if a spot outside the fire breaks occurs.

• Description of units that border to the North, South, East, West, & Other this section describes the size and general characteristics of the units adjacent and near the burn unit. 
• Fuel Types or Models- it is important to identify the vegetation that exists by categorizing the fuel model that most closely matches it and then describing the characteristics of that fuel model that will exist on the day of the burn.
• Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal
• Texas Wildland Fuels- Fuel Model Guide
• USFS Aids to Determining Fuel Models
• Fuel Load and Distribution- Fuel load is the measurement of the biomass on a given unit of land. Often measured in tons per acre it helps predict the vegetation that will be consumed. It influences fire behavior and the smoke that is produced.
• Fuel Moisture minimum and maximum- fuel moisture influences the vegetation that is available for a fire to consume and there for directly effects fire behavior.
  • 1 hr, 10 hr, & 100 hr Fuel Moisture Maps
  • Live Fuel Moisture
   
• Structures, Utilities, Oil and Gas Infrastructure, Fencing, Livestock, Wildlife, Threatened and Endangered Species.- identifying the structures (environmental and man-made) that are in the area surrounding the burn unit is important planning and decision making.

• Test Fire Plan- the test fire plan explains the specifics of how and where the burn manager plans to start an initial test fire on the day of the burn to verify that conditions and fire behavior match the prescription from the burn plan.
• Ignition Plan- the ignition plan outlines the method(s) the ignition team will take to ignite the vegetation based on environmental conditions and the desired fire behavior outlined in the prescription.
• Holding Plan- the holding plan explains the personnel and equipment assignments that will be tasked with holding the fire within the burn unit boundaries.
• Mop Up plan- the mop up plan explains the plan for activities following the ignition phase, standards to be used when extinguishing fire or heat that remains after the active fire, and patrols that are needed following the burn operation. 
• Emergency medical plan- the medical plan identifies the closest medical treatment facilities, methods to communicate a medical emergency, and locations for ambulance and helicopter access.

 The contingency plan outlines the steps that will be taken in the event of an escape fire; by the burn manager, personnel working at the burn unit, and additional equipment and personnel available. This plan should include trigger points for requesting assistance privately and notifying emergency dispatchers or 911.

• Map My Property 
• 911 Address of Property
• TX Sheriff’s Office by County
• Texas A&M Forest Service Offices
• Texas A&M Forest Service Regional Fire Coordinator
• Texas FireConnect

 The smoke management plan sets in place best management practices to limit impacts on air quality and smoke sensitive areas before, during, and after burning.

Texas A&M Forest Service Smoke Management Plan

• Surface (20 foot) wind speed minimum and maximum - allowable surface wind speeds are listed in TCEQ rules for outdoor burning and must be between 6* mph and 23 mph (5* mph on the low end for TDA CIPBM). 
• Surface wind direction(s) - wind directions are set by the burn manager to minimize risk of an escape fire and based on smoke management concerns, including TCEQ rules of sensitive structures.
• Transport wind speed - effects smoke dispersion as well as if and how smoke will travel.
• Transport wind direction(s) - effects direction smoke will travel.
• Mixing height (minimum) - the mixing height is the maximum elevation that rapid vertical mixing occurs in the atmosphere. It determines how high smoke will travel and is influenced by the stability of the atmospheric conditions. Instability in the atmosphere supports increased fire behavior.
• Category day - is a numeric value from 1 to 5 that indicates the vent rate as derived from the Ventilation Index System. Its value takes into account Mixing height and transport wind making it a reliable predictor of smoke dispersion.
  • NOAA Fire Weather Home Page 
  • Find your NWS Forecast Office
  • Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Weather
  • Detailed Point Weather Forecasts
   
• Potential Impacted Areas- the Texas A&M Forest Service Smoke Management Plan explains methods and applications for projecting smoke from a prescribed fire. The free mapping applications below can provide the chance to create custom maps of potential impacted areas. 
• Mapping of burn unit boundary and surroundings
• Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal
• Smoke Sensitive Areas- identifying the specific locations and structures that should not be impacted by smoke is an important step in determining the weather variables that will be allowable in the prescription.
• Mitigation Actions to be taken- these actions may include burning only within certain environmental parameters, ignition methods, mop up methods, and moving occupants to another location.
• Smoke Management Notifications- a list of sensitive receptors and contact info can be used to warn and mitigate the impacts of smoke on others. These notations are usually listed separate from the notifications of public officials that occurs the day of the burn.

Notifications must be made prior to burning and should be written in the burn plan to ensure all the contact information is available and used on the day of the burn.

• TX Sheriff’s Office by County 
• Texas A&M Forest Service Offices
• Texas A&M Forest Service Regional Fire Coordinator 
• Texas FireConnect
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 
• Texas County Judge Listing
• TFS Prescribed Fire Reporting Survey
• Neighboring Landowners via White Pages

Various maps are useful in planning and implementing a prescribed burn, but a location map, burn unit map, and smoke management map or considered essential elements of a prescribed burn plan.

• Make a Burn Unit/Location Map
• Smoke Management Map, Sensitive Areas(Where People live Map)
• Smoke Screen or Plum Map- TFS Smoke Management Plan - Page 4
• VSMOKE Model from the Georgia Forestry Commission
• Smoke Screening Tool - Mississippi Forestry Commission

A Go/No-Go checklist is a section of the burn plan that is filled out on the day of the burn prior to ignition of the main burn unit. This document is a final checklist to ensure all planning and pre-fire actions have been taken and that current conditions are within the prescription on the prescribed burn plan.

*Page 2 of this website is a Go/No-Go checklists with associated links for information needed on the day of a burn.

Go/No-Go Checklists- various Go/No-Go checklists are available and often are specific to the organization that employs the burn manager.

• Texas A&M Forest Service Go/No-Go Checklist
• Texas A&M Forest Service Web based- Day of Burn Forecasts and Go/No-Go Checklist
• National Go/No-Go checklist