I

I I
I I
I Green, Lisle R. Burning by prescription in chaparral. Berkeley, Calif.: Pacific Southwest Forest
and Range Exp. Stn., Forest Serv., U.S. Dep. Agric.: 1981; Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-51. 36 p. 1
l I
Prescribed burning is frequently suggested for reducing conflagration costs in chaparral. Prepara-
tion for a prescribed burn includes environmental impact reports, approval by higher levels of
authority, and a burn plan. After objectives are stated, the prescription can be written. Elements of
the bum prescription reflect fuel, weather, and other factors that determine fire behavior. Proportion
of dead fuel, quantity of available fuel, live fuel moisture, topographic features, and chemical
content can ail be considered prior to the burn date. Then the desired ranges of dead fuel moisture,
relative humidity, windspeed and direction, air temperature, and time of day can be selected.
Perimeter firing is commonly employed, after weather forecasts and locally collected weather data
indicate prescription elements are acceptable and smoke management is not a problem. An impor-
tant final step is burn evaluation.
Retrieval Terms: prescribed burning, brushland burning, chaparral, fuel moisture content