A prescribed burn is done carefully and deliberately, with safety equipment on hand to monitor and control its spread. The burn is planned and executed to minimize the amount of smoke produced and to direct it away from smoke-sensitive areas as much as possible.

All burns are done with the cooperation and approval of local, and occasionally, county fire department authorities, who issue permits for burns to be conducted. Weather conditions, personnel, equipment, and other parameters needed for the burn to be conducted safely are outlined beforehand. Prior to burning, temporary “burn breaks” are created around the area to be burned to help manage the fire and delineate the exact boundaries of the burn site. 

The scale of a burn will range from less than 1/10 acre to hundreds of acres, from city lots to rural landscapes, and from a homeowner’s yard to large tracts of mixed habitat.