1. Before each burn, a member or members should make contact with the customer and determine where the potential burn should take place. Either have the customer take you there directly or get directions to the location you can follow and understand. If unsure, make it a point to have the customer go with.
2. Do a pre-burn survey of the area to be burned. This can be done by pickup, on ATV/UTV, and or may have to be done on foot if terrain is where the previously mentioned methods won�t go. Make sure the customer understands the methods so they can expect to see tracks on property to be burned.
3. Make note of any exposures such as, power lines, houses, fences, out buildings, hedge rows, wind breaks, anything that should not burn or the customer might not want burned. Also make note of any area where heavy fuel loads on any adjacent properties which come up next to or close to the area to be burned.
4. Make note of entrances and exits. There is nothing worse than not having a way out if there becomes a need to get out. If it is felt access to an adjoining property might be necessary to make the operation go faster and or safer, make contact with customer to see about arrangements for access to adjoining property on the day of the burn.
5. Make note of any terrain hazards. Impassable water ways, ditches, mud holes, sink holes, etc.
6. Take time and make a plan on the wind direction. Make note of which way the wind will have to be blowing to minimize exposures and fire breaking away from the proposed area.
7. Make note and find out where the closest water point is. Is there one on site? How much does it flow? How far is it to the site? Have arrangements been made to get water from neighbors if the site is there? Turn around time for refilling units is important.
8. Have the customer make contact with the neighboring property owners and let them know what we are planning to do.
9. Have an idea where to stage transport vehicles. Make sure it is not going to cause a traffic hazard and it is not in danger of catching on fire. Remember, most of the time these will be pickups and trailers of 16 feet and longer.
10. At the conclusion of the above, if it felt by CBC member or members the burn is not an executable operation for any reason, advise the customer and Burn Boss for further assessment and or possible recommendations. A completed preplan is no guarentee there will be a burn operation performed.