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Supervise and lead prescribed burning as part of vegetation management

URN: LANCS92

Business Sectors (Suites): Environmental Conservation,Game and Wildlife Management,Treework

Developed by: Lantra

Approved on: 30 Mar 2022

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Overview

This standard is about supervising and leading prescribed burning as part of vegetation management, commonly heather or grass. It relates to the activities that you undertake to confirm that the work is carried out safely and effectively.

This standard is for at those who work in game and wildlife management, environmental conservation, forestry or farming and can be applied to any area of land where heather or other surface vegetation is managed by burning.

To meet this standard you will be able to:

• contribute to the development of the prescribed burning plan

• organise the practical requirements associated with safe vegetation burning

• control vegetation burning activities

• supervise and lead individuals and teams in support of vegetation burning activities

• take the required action in the event of a fire escape incident.

Anyone carrying out prescribed burning should be trained, and hold current certification where required, in accordance with nation-specific legislation.

They must also follow the current legal requirements and codes of practice relevant to the nation where the burning is taking place.

For you to fully understand the content of the standard, and the activities it describes, it is important that you are able to understand the terms used within the standard. See the Glossary for some definitions that should help you with this.

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

contribute to establishing the need for burning through an assessment of the potential burn area
contribute to the development of a plan for prescribed burning, taking account of land management objectives, site factors and fire danger that will affect fire behaviour
check that the plan specifies all burn requirements and complies with the relevant nation-specific legal requirements, environmental constraints and codes of practice
organise the operational and resource requirements to support the implementation of the planned burn
contribute to the establishment of contingencies to control any deviation from the planned burn
liaise with the relevant people to inform them of the planned burn including neighbours, Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) and other agencies as required
carry out a risk assessment and take action to mitigate hazards related to burn activities
organise and carry out the LACES safety system tasks
confirm that those involved in the planned burn have been trained, and hold current certification where this is a requirement, in accordance with legislation and codes of practice that are relevant to the nation where the burning is taking place
task all those involved on the planned burn and associated safety matters
maintain the health and safety of yourself and others at all times, in accordance with the relevant health and safety legislation and codes of practice
check that the clothing and PPE worn by those carrying out the burn is suitable for the task and fit for purpose
confirm appointed roles, objectives and responsibilities on the day along with the line of reporting
confirm communication methods and maintain effective communication with others throughout the burning operation
use maps to give and receive accurate grid references, estimate distances and identify features
use weather forecasts to establish if conditions are favourable for the planned burn
confirm the availability of resources to support the planned burn
confirm that tools and equipment required to ignite and suppress the prescribed burn are available, prepared, used and maintained safely and effectively
supervise and lead the establishment of firebreaks, fuel breaks and other controls taking account of fuels, weather, aspect and terrain
implement a test burn to confirm the appropriateness of burn conditions and to identify any adjustments required to the prescribed burn plan
supervise and lead the controlled igniting of vegetation, using specified ignition patterns in accordance with the ignition plan
control the burn according to planned burning requirements
take immediate action to deal with any variations from the planned burning requirements
supervise and lead the suppression of prescribed burning when the required burn objectives have been achieved
follow the required procedures in the event of an emergency
carry out a debrief with those involved following completion of the burn
report on the effectiveness of the burn and contribute to the review and evaluation to learn lessons for the future

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

why vegetation is burnt as part of habitat and wildlife management
how to assess the characteristics of the habitat in relation to burn planning and management
the role of the fire danger rating in burn planning
the importance of burn planning and what needs to be included when planning a prescribed burn
the purpose of a burn constraints map and why it should be followed
the purpose and value of decision making, leadership and appropriate management structures during planned burning operations, incidents and emergencies
the potential impact of prescribed burning activities on the natural environment including air and water quality, sensitive habitats, plant species, game, wildlife, natural capital, as well as property and infrastructure
the current legal requirements and codes of practice controlling vegetation burning that are relevant to the nation where the burning is taking place
why it is important to liaise with the relevant people to inform them of the planned burn and who needs to be informed
the hazards and risks associated with vegetation burning operations
the importance of the initial and ongoing identification of hazards and assessment of risks and the action to take
the LACES safety system and how it is applied in prescribed burning operations
the health and safety requirements associated with vegetation burning
the suitable fire-resistant clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) required for use by those involved in prescribed burning and suppression
why it is important that those involved with the burn are trained, and hold current certification where this is a requirement, in accordance with legislation and codes of practice relevant to the nation where the burning is taking place
the fire plan of the organisation that you work for and its associated operating procedures
the resources and equipment required to support safe burning activities
your role, objectives and responsibilities and that of others, the line of reporting and why it is important to follow a chain of command
the importance of maintaining effective communication with those involved with the burn and how this can be done
the elements (heat, fuel, oxygen) that are required to sustain fire and the methods of heat transfer that can cause a vegetation fire to spread
how the weather, fuel condition and arrangement and terrain, can affect the spread, intensity and severity of fires and how changes in the weather can affect planned burns and wildfires
how to use fuels, wind, slope and aspect, included in the Wildfire Prediction System (WiPS), to predict changes in fire behaviour, including intensity and direction
the wildfire prevention techniques that should be used when supervising and leading prescribed burning
the tools and equipment used to control and suppress vegetation fires
the purpose, construction and value of firebreaks and fuel breaks
map reading skills including Ordnance Survey maps
the use of checklists, maps and diagrams as important management tools
the information required by the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) control rooms and on-site.
how to implement and analyse test burns
the way different ignition patterns work and how they can impact on the burn
the procedures to follow in the event of an emergency and what information should be recorded
the importance of reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of the burn and recording lessons learned

Scope/range

Scope Performance

Scope Knowledge

Values

Behaviours

Skills

Glossary

Aspect – The direction towards which a slope faces.
Codes of practice – Documents giving the methods developed to assist compliance with acts and regulations in the performance of work e.g. Muirburn Code (Scotland), Heather and Grass Burning Code (England and Wales)
Control measure - Mitigation actions that can be taken to reduce the potential of exposure to an identified hazard
Fire behaviour – The reaction of a fire to the influences of fuel, weather, and topography. Different types of fire include: smouldering, creeping, running, torching, spotting and crowning.
Firebreak - A measure to prevent the spread of fire.
Fuel break - A break in the availability of fuel (combustible material) to sustain the fire which acts as a barrier to slow or stop the progress of the fire.
Fire danger - A general term used to express an assessment of both fixed and variable factors of the fire environment that determine the ease of ignition, rate of spread, difficulty of control, and impact. Fire danger is often expressed as an index.
Fire escape – A burn that exceeds the fire prescription, often a runaway fire or wildfire.
Fire hazard - Any situation, process, material or condition that can cause a wildfire or that can provide a ready fuel supply to augment the spread or intensity of a wildfire, all of which pose a threat to life, property or the environment.
Fire intensity – The rate at which a fire releases energy in the form of heat at a given location and at a specific point in time, expressed as kilowatts per metre (kW/m) or kilojoules per meter per second (kJ/m/s).
Fire risk - The probability of a wildfire occurring and its potential impact on a particular location at a particular time. Wildfire risk is calculated using the following equation: Fire risk = probability of occurrence x potential impact
Fire/Burn severity - A qualitative assessment of the level of heat generated by a fire/burn and the resulting impact on a fuel.
Fire type – There are three different schemes for classifying fire type: 1. Classification of a fire or section of fire according to the fuel level within which it occurs. For example, aerial, crown, understory, surface and ground fires. 2. Classification of a section of fire according to its position along the fire perimeter. For example, head, tail and flank fires. 3. Classification of a fire or section of fire according to the visual characteristics it displays. For example, smouldering, creeping, backing, running, torching, spotting, crowning, fire whirl, convection driven fire etc
Fire weather – Weather conditions which influence fire ignition, behaviour, and suppression.
Fuels – The classification of fuels according to their height relative to the ground surface. There are five general fuel layers: • Aerial fuels • Elevated fuels • Near surface fuels • Surface fuels • Ground fuels
Fuel hazard - A fuel complex defined by kind, arrangement, volume, condition, and location that presents a threat of ignition and resistance to control
Hazard - Anything which has the potential to cause harm.
LACES – LACES is an essential safety protocol which should be implemented at wildfire incidents to address risks and hazards. LACES is an acronym for: L = Lookouts, A = Awareness (or Anchor Point), C = Communication, E = Escape route and plan, S = Safe area
Landscape - The physical appearance of the land comprising of the features of the terrain, the indigenous vegetation and the human impact caused by variations in land use.
Likelihood - An assessment of the probability of an identified hazard resulting in a loss (normally expressed as a number 1 to 5, low to high).
Methods of heat transfer – The process by which heat is imparted from one body or object to another. In wildfires and forest fires, heat energy is transmitted from burning to unburned fuels by: Convection, Radiation and Conduction
Prescribed burning – A planned and supervised burn carried out under specified environmental conditions to remove fuel from a predetermined area of land and at the time, intensity and rate of spread required to meet land management objectives.
Prescribed burning plan (burn plan, prescribed fire operation plan) - A plan which specifies the area to be burned and incorporates the aims and objectives of the burn, specifications and conditions under which the burn is to be conducted and measures to be taken to ensure safety and keep the fire under control.
Risk - The probability (likelihood) that the harm from a hazard will be realised together with the level of resultant loss, damage or injury.
Risk assessment - The process of establishing information regarding acceptable levels of risk and actual levels of risk posed to an individual, group, society or the environment. The process involves the identification of risk, an assessment of the likelihood of an event occurring and an assessment of the severity of the impact if it does occur.
Risk rating - The result of multiplying the likelihood by the severity to reach a value for risk. This is then expressed as either a numeric value or simply, low, medium or high.
Severity - An assessment of the possible outcome of an identified hazard (normally expressed as a number 1 to 5, low to high).
Topography – The description and study of the shape and features of the land surface.
Wildfire – Any uncontrolled vegetation fire which requires a decision or action regarding suppression. Wildfires are commonly classified according to size and/or impact upon suppression resources.
Wildfire management plan - A site specific plan developed to address the risk of wildfire and set out measures that will reduce or mitigate the risk and/or consequences of a wildfire. Ideally this is produced following a wildfire risk assessment.
Wildfire Prediction System (WiPS) - A recognised system for anticipating and predicting the likely behaviour of a wildfire. It is based on the consideration of wind, slope and aspect combined with fuel.
Wildfire prevention - A collective term for all proactive activities that are implemented with the aim of reducing the occurrence, severity and spread of wildfires.
Wildfire response plan - A area specific plan developed to set out the response required to a wildfire incident. WRPs should include information that would prove useful for Fire and Rescue Services such as location of infrastructure, access routes, water sources, specialist equipment, contact details and site maps.
Wildfire risk assessment - A Wildfire Risk Assessment is a tool for identifying fire hazards and evaluating fire risk. The process involves the identification of risk, an assessment of the likelihood of an event occurring and an assessment of the severity of the impact if it does occur.

Links To Other NOS

External Links

Version Number

Indicative Review Date

30 Mar 2027

Validity

Current

Status

Original

Originating Organisation

Lantra

Original URN

LANGa26

Relevant Occupations

Forestry, Estate Worker, Ranger, Gamekeeper

SOC Code

5119

Keywords

heather; moorland; heath; burning; fire; burn; muirburn; swaling; vegetation; prescribed fire; forestry