Prescribed Fire (Resource Management Open Fire) Planning

Background Information

This information package has been put together at the request of the B.C. Forest Service Executive and the Director of the Protection Branch. The package is to provide a standardized, documented process for Prescribed Fire (resource management open fire) Burn Planning; to minimize the liability of the Government of British Columbia and the person(s) conducting a resource management open fire.

Requirement for a Burn Plan

As per section 23 of the Wildfire Regulation, the person preparing for a burn must develop and submit a burn plan to an official (30 days before the proposed ignition) and receive the official's approval to it in writing.

NOTE: The official that signs a burn plan as approved must have spending authority for the fire suppression vote in the event an escape fire occurs from the burn and fire suppression vote moneys need to be expended. The official who approves a Burn Plan must be certified to the level that the broadcast burn has been rated at (i.e. Type I, Type II, Type III).

Objectives must be clearly defined.

The B.C. Forest Service, Protection Branch will maintain the documentation of training and certification levels for all BC Government staff only.

Industry staff or contractors will not be "certified" by Protection Branch. It is the responsibility of Industry to ensure their staff or contractors meet equivalent qualifications.

All Type II and Type III Burn Bosses will be certified by the Fire Centre certification panel based on recommendations from zones or districts. Type I certification will be confirmed by Protection Branch as recommended by the Fire Centre panels.

A complexity rating system has been adapted to B.C. to rate Broadcast Burns into three (3) levels. The rating system is included in the Burn Plan as Schedule 2. Once a Burn has been rated it will be classified as a Type I, Type II, or a Type III Burn. At this point a Burn Boss can be selected that meets the appropriate certification level.