A Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) is a group of landowners and other concerned citizens that form a partnership to conduct prescribed burns. Association members pool their knowledge, man-power and equipment to help other people in their association conduct prescribed burns.
More than 70 PBAs are now found in 12 states across the U.S., depicted on this map. Some states and individual PBAs even have their own websites, such as: North Carolina Sandhills, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, California, and North Florida.
Numerous resources and opportunities are available regarding PBAs. Some of these have been compiled and are provided below.
Resources for Those in an Existing PBA:
Educational Opportunities
- e-FIRE – An interactive video course designed for landowners and those new to prescribed fire to learn how to plan, conduct, and evaluate a burn.
- Online courses – The online “Basic Prescribed Fire Training” and the “Introduction to Southeast Prescribed Fire” courses can be found at http://campus.extension.org (search term: prescribed fire).
- Certified Burner Courses – If your state provides a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager course, look for upcoming dates in your area!
Materials & Resources
- A South Central Texas PBA member developed this small-scale demonstration method for reaching school children and 4-H members, but it could also be used to teach landowners who are new to burning.
Mobile Apps
- GroupMe App (useful to connect with many people about the burn by only sending a single message)
- RxBurn Tracker (helps you monitor the long-term effects of burning by storing basic information about a prescribed fire and take pre- and post-burn photos from exactly the same spot over time)
- Smoke Management Pocket Guide (has 12 basic smoke management guidelines to keep in mind, and a fuel calculator to determine how much available fuel is in your burn unit)
Capture Your Burn Data
John Weir (Oklahoma PBA) is interested in collecting information on all prescribed burns being conducted around the country, especially those from PBAs. Take a few minutes and log your burn into the OPBA burn entry form, or on the OPBA website at www.ok-pba.org under burn entry form.
Resources for Those Wanting to Form a PBA:
Fact Sheets
- The Value of Forming a PBA (2016)
- Prescribed Burn Associations (2015)
Videos
The NC Sandhills Prescribed Burn Association has their own YouTube Channel.
Webinars
- Prescribed Burn Associations in the Southeast – A Conversation With Experts – April 28, 2021
- Potential Applications of Prescribed Burn Associations for Family Forest Landowners – March 24, 2021
- Prescribed Burn Associations: Different Models for Different Places – Webinar 12-10-20
- Prescribed Burn Associations: Land Owners Effectively Applying Fire to the Land – January 2017
- Prescribed Fire Techniques, Planning, and Precautions in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas – October 31, 2013
Podcasts
Ozark Prairie PBA – by Beaver Watershed Alliance on March 31, 2021
Brochures
Powerpoint Presentations
Example By-Laws
Example Equipment List/ Sign-out Sheets
Sample Meeting Agendas
Template Agreements/MOUs
Example Newsletters
- North Florida PBA “Fire in the Pines” Newsletter:
Signs
Template Burn Plans
Checklists
- North Central Range Improvement Association PBA Preburn Safety Checklist
- NC Sandhills PBA Checklist for Private Landowners
Protocols & Miscellaneous
- Prescribed Burn Protocol North Central Range Improvement Association PBA
- Release Form North Central Range Improvement Association
- SO YOU WANT TO BURN YOUR PROPERTY? What to do as a North Central Range Improvement Association PBA Member
- NC Sandhills PBA Landowner Decision Tree
- The Sandhills Prescribed Burn Association White Paper
Liability
- Prescribed fire liability factsheet: standards of care by state
- Legal Liability for Prescribed Fire Accidents in the Southeast
Articles and Publications about PBAs
- A Guide For Wildlife Management Associations and Co-ops (2004)
- Prescribed Burning Cooperatives: Empowering and Equipping Ranchers to Manage Rangelands (2005)
- Prescribed Burning Associations: Landowners Effectively Applying Fire to the Land (2010)
- The rising Great Plains fire campaign: citizens’ response to woody plant encroachment (2013)
- The role of prescribed burn associations in the application of prescribed fires in rangeland ecosystems (2014)
- Prescribed burn association activity, needs, and safety record: A survey of the Great Plains (2015)
- From Grassroots to National Alliance: The Emerging Trajectory for Landowner Prescribed Burn Associations (2016)
- Great Plains Fire Tour Visits the Mid-Missouri River Prescribed Burn Association (2018)
Success Stories
News/Media Stories
- Land Owners Get ‘How To’ Lesson on Controlled Burns
- Burn Association Hosts Annual Meeting And Rolls Out Website
- California’s first Prescribed Burn Association shows why we need more in the state – August 12, 2019
Do you know of a resource that should be included on this page? If so, please contact jennifer_fawcett@ncsu.edu.