Fire Management 2022 Program Guide
The Smoke Management Plan requires the registration of all prescribed fires over 20 acres. Depending on location, acres to be burned, emission released and proximity to specific receptors, additional information may be required to ascertain the burn’s impact. Every management ignited fire 20 acres or larger, or which will produce more than 1000 pounds of particulate emissions, will require a written prescribed fire plan. Prescribed fire plans will document conditions under which the burn can be executed and meet guidelines/ criteria of Utah’s Smoke Management Plan. To calculate the amount of particulate emissions produced refer to the Daily Emissions Report (SMP Form 5).
PRESCRIBED FIRE PRESCRIBED FIRE REQUESTS Fire Wardens will attempt to satisfy requests for assistance with prescribed fires on private and state lands. A burning permit may be sufficient for many of these types of burns if during the closed fire season. When the size and/or complexity of the burn necessitates the development of a burn plan, the plan will be developed as required by Division policy. (FFL-04-B-11) In the event requests for advice or assistance become too numerous to satisfy, a priority of requests will be established as follows: • Prescribed burns which are included or planned as part of a hazardous fuels mitigation plan, resource-management plan, ranch or farm plan will receive highest priority. Such a plan will be documented. • Burns which are planned for a specific purpose or with an objective of continued management treatment are of the next highest priority. Such burns include site preparation for seeding and vegetation eradication to convert wildlands to agriculture or grazing lands. • The lowest priority will be assigned to burns for which no post-burn treatment is anticipated. Post-burn treatment might include seeding or grazing deferment. If a situation occurs where several requests for assistance on private land have the same priority, local Soil Conservation Districts will be consulted to establish a priority for handling of requests. Division personnel will resolve requests with the same priority on state lands, based on resource management needs. When conducting prescribed fire on behalf of private land owners, liability should be addressed in the burn plan. Landowner permission and liability release forms have been developed by the AG for this purpose. Burn Plans that have private land involvement must have liability forms signed before requesting State Office approval. The fire warden should attempt to meet requests for assistance on fires which are small in size (10 acres or less), have low to moderate volumes of fuel present, and do not entail
Chapter 6 Risk Reduction: Prevention, Preparedness & Mitigation – 163
