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Prescribed Burning Short Course

Throughout the year, the Mississippi Forestry Commission offers the Prescribed Burning Short Course. This course is open to the public and designed for anyone wishing to become a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager in Mississippi.

  • One-Day Session requires students to complete the “S-190 Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior” course online before attending the session. Students must bring a copy of their S-190 Certificate of Completion to the course on the date they registered to attend.
  • Three-Day Session does not require completion of the S-190 before attending. The content contained in the S-190 will be included in the 3-day course.
  • Either option (1-day or 3-day) will result in being eligible to take the MS Certified Burn Manager exam at the end of the course. 
  • Each venue does have a maximum capacity. Upon reaching that maximum capacity for the venue, registration will be closed for that session.
  • Additional Fall 2023 dates will likely be added to the schedule. If you do not see a date or location that fits your schedule, please check back regularly for future course announcements.

2024 Prescribed Burning Short Course Dates Coming Soon!

S-190 Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior

About the Prescribed Burning Short Course

The Prescribed Burning Short Course is open to the public and designed for anyone wishing to become a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager in Mississippi.

Upon completion of the Prescribed Burning Short Course, participants will qualify to take the Mississippi Certified Prescribed Burn Manager exam on the last day of the course.

During the workshop, participants will be introduced to several aspects of Prescribed Burning. Participants do not conduct a Prescribed Burn during the workshop. 

Prescribed Burning Short Course Requirements

To become a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager through the Prescribed Burning Short Course, participants must meet the following requirements:

  1. Write a Prescribed Burning Plan and present information on Smoke Screening.
  2. Pass the final exam with a score of 80 or higher on the last day of the course.

Once these requirements have been met, participants will be issued a certificate of completion.

The group will visit two sites at the end of the workshop and be asked to write a Prescribed Burning Plan based on the information they learned during the course. Attendees must bring proper footwear for walking in a wooded area.

During this course, participants will learn the following:

  • State laws regarding personal liability in applying a prescribed fire
  • Benefits, limitations, and risks of using prescribed fire
  • Forest fuels and fuel classifications
  • How weather and fuel moisture affect fire behavior
  • A variety of ignition techniques
  • Methods for managing smoke
  • How to write a prescribed burning plan
  • How to properly plan and execute a prescribed burn

Space for the workshop is limited, and registration is REQUIRED. Upon completion of the Prescribed Burning Short Course, participants will qualify to take the Mississippi Certified Burn Manager exam on the last day of the course; Registered Foresters will earn CFE credit.

For additional information about the Prescribed Burning Short Course, contact:

Allen Stroud
MFC Safety and Training Coordinator
(769) 798-2597
astroud@mfc.ms.gov