Planning a burn
Last updated on April 1, 2025Submission of a burn plan
As per section 23 of the Wildfire Regulation, the person preparing for a burn must develop and submit a burn plan to an official and receive the official's approval of it in writing.
Requirement for a burn plan
A burn plan is required for any category 4 resource management open fire as per the Wildfire Regulation, unless an agreement (referred to in section 23.1 of the Wildfire Regulation) exists between the Province and an Indigenous governing body that defines open fire use.
Burn planning resources:
These documents are intended as guidance, and are subject to regional and jurisdictional planning cycles and processes. All practitioners must communicate and coordinate with local Land Managers and fire centres.
- Prescribed Fire Approval Process (PDF 79.4 KB) (April 2025)
- Prescribed Fire Roadmap (PDF 575 KB) (April 2025)
Burn Plan templates:
- Burn Plan Template (DOCX 108KB) (February 2025)
- Prescribed Fire Complexity Analysis Guide (DOCX 63KB) (February 2025)
- Burn Plan Signature Sheet (DOCX 90.6 KB) (April 2025)
- Prescribed Fire Project Turnover Document (DOCX 42 KB) (February 2025)
Policies and procedures:
Policies and procedures are under development. Please contact your local fire centre if you need more information about planning a burn.
Communications tools:
Disclaimer: These tools are intended to support the communications plan requirement outlined in the Burn Plan and were designed based on projects co-developed/delivered with BC Wildfire Service. They provide advice for public notification tactics and considerations, but may not be suitable for all projects.
- Public Notification Tool (PDF 26.1 MB) (April 2025)
- Communications and Engagement Plan template (DOCX 29.3 KB) (April 2025)
Contact
For any questions regarding planning and executing a prescribed burn please contact BCWS.C&RxFire@gov.bc.ca.