A crew of 2-12 firefighters arrives on site equipped with proper gear and equipment needed to safely and efficiently conduct a prescribed burn and contain the fire.

Crew members are designated specific roles, equipment, and tools. Crew members test equipment and tools prior to the burn.

Water resources include truck and UTV engines, as well as backpack pumps.

Although we typically arrive on site with sufficient water to complete a burn, we often establish a contingency water source on site. Contingency water sources include accessing spigots at a house or barn, or a stream. We bring all necessary equipment to utilize these contingency sources, including hoses, hose fittings, nozzles, and draft pumps.

The burn boss performs an on-site assessment to determine if your burn will accomplish its objectives while performed safely given current conditions and available resources.

All members of the burn crew meet for a briefing prior to implementing the burn. The depth of a briefing depends on the complexity of the burn. A briefing conveys relevant information to burn crew members ensuring that your burn is performed in a safe and effective manner.

As needed, crew members install and improve firebreaks, and prep around objects needing protection from fire and heat.

Signs placed on adjacent roads alert drivers of potential smoke. Notifications by phone, person, or door hanger inform neighbors about potential smoke and answer questions about prescribed burning.

Once prep is completed and resources are ready, the burn crew reconvenes prior to ignition. The burn boss and/or line bosses share updates, such as an on-site weather.

We begin ignition with a “test fire” at the downwind corner of the burn unit. The test fire is a test of fire behavior. If conditions on site are within prescription (weather and environmental parameters) and fire behavior is as expected, we proceed with ignition. All burns begin with backing fire, or fire moving against the direction of the wind, to secure downwind lines.

Multiple ignition techniques are applied throughout a burn.

Techniques are adjusted based on fire behavior.

Tactics are also adjusted based on ecological objectives.

Consumed (burned) fuels appear black.

When ignition is complete we ensure that the perimeter of the unit is extinguished. Crew may remain on site to “mop up” or extinguish material that is still smoldering.

The time it takes to implement a burn depends on a variety of factors including: the extent of firebreak and prep needs, mobilization and distance for our shop, burn complexity (fuels, topography, adjacent properties, smoke sensitive areas, risk), crew resources and ability to use equipment given site conditions.