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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>345445</law_id><section_number>10.1-1150.4</section_number><catch_line>Prescribed burn elements</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><referred_to_by><reference>10.1-1142</reference><reference>10.1-1150.5</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="38" identifier="10.1">Conservation</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="2" identifier="II">Activities Administered by Other Entities</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="11">Forest Resources and the Department of Forestry</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="7" identifier="6.1">Certified Prescribed Burning Manager Program</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p><span class="dictionary">Prescribed burning</span> shall be performed in the following manner:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> A <span class="dictionary">prescription</span> for the prescribed burn shall be prepared by a <span class="dictionary">certified prescribed burn manager</span> prior to the burn. The <span class="dictionary">prescription</span> shall include: (i) the landowner&#x2019;s name, address, and telephone number, and the telephone number of the <span class="dictionary">certified prescribed burn manager</span> who prepared the plan; (ii) a description of the area to be burned, a map of the area to be burned, the objectives of the prescribed burn, and the desired weather conditions or parameters; (iii) a summary of the methods to be used to start, control, and extinguish the prescribed burn; and (iv) a smoke management plan. The smoke management plan shall be based on guidelines presented in the Virginia Department of Forestry publication, &#x201C;Voluntary Smoke Management Guidelines for Virginia,&#x201D; and the U.S. Forest Service&#x2019;s technical publication, &#x201C;A Guide to Prescribed Fire in Southern Forests.&#x201D; A copy of the <span class="dictionary">prescription</span> shall be retained at the site throughout the period of the burning; <a id="paragraph-1287853" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/10.1-1150.4/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> <span class="dictionary">Prescribed burning</span> shall be conducted under the direct supervision of a <span class="dictionary">certified prescribed burn manager</span>, who shall ensure that the <span class="dictionary">prescribed burning</span> is in accordance with the <span class="dictionary">prescription</span>; and <a id="paragraph-1287854" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/10.1-1150.4/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> The nearest regional office of the Virginia Department of Forestry shall be notified prior to the burn. <a id="paragraph-1287855" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/10.1-1150.4/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1998, c. 156.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
