Red Flag Situations

Underburning:

• No Written plan
• No map
• No safety briefing
• Heavy fuels
• Dry duff and soil
• Extended drought
• Inadequate control lines
• No updated weather forecast for area
• Forecast does not agree with prescription
• Poor visibility
• Personnel or equipment stretched thin
• Burning large area using ground ignition
• Communications for all people not available
• No backup plan or forces available
• No one notified of plans to burn
• Behavior of test fire not as prescribed
• A smoke-management system has not been used.
• Smoke-sensitive area downwind or down drainage
• Organic soil present
• Daytime Dispersion Index below 40
• Not enough personnel or equipment available to control an escaped fire
• Personnel on fire not qualified to take action on escaped fire.

Debris burning - in addition to the above:

• Area contains windrows
• A lot of dirt in piles
• Poor nighttime smoke dispersion forecast
• Have not looked down drainage
• Mixing height is below 1,650 feet (500 meters)
• Debris was piled when wet
• Pile exteriors are wet

If any of the following conditions exist, stop burning and plow out existing fire.

• Fire behavior erratic
• Spot fire or slop-over occurs and is difficult to control
• Wind shifting or other unforeseen change in weather
• Smoke not dispersing as predicted
• Public road or other sensitive area smoked in
• Burn does not comply with all laws, regulations, and standards
• Large fuels igniting and burning, not enough personnel to mopup before dark and likely to smoke in a smoke sensitive area