2019 Tennessee Code
Title 11 - Natural Areas and Recreation
Chapter 4 - State Forests
Part 10 - Tennessee Prescribed Burning Act
§ 11-4-1003. Application of prescribed burning.
(a)
(1) No property owner, person, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, natural person, agent of the owner, or any other entity who conducts a prescribed burn pursuant to the requirements of this part shall be liable for damage, injury or loss caused by fire unless negligence is proven.
(2) No property owner, person, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, natural person, agent of the owner, or any other entity who conducts a prescribed burn pursuant to the requirements of this part shall be liable for damage, injury or loss caused by the resulting smoke unless negligence is proven.
(b) Prescribed burning conducted in accordance with this section shall:
(1) Require that a written prescription be prepared, signed, and followed by the certified prescribed burn manager;
(2) Require that the certified prescribed burn manager maintain the prescription in the manager's records, and possess the prescription on site during all prescribed burnings;
(3) Occur only when at least one (1) certified prescribed burn manager is on site and supervising burns while they are being conducted;
(4) Require that the certified prescribed burn manager supervising the burns being conducted is the person who directly observes and coordinates the lighting of the fire to initiate the burn process;
(5) Require a burning permit be obtained from the division of forestry as required in § 39-14-306; and
(6) Be considered in the public interest and shall not constitute a public or private nuisance when conducted pursuant to state air pollution control statutes and rules applicable to prescribed burning.
(c) Certified prescribed burn managers shall take into account the variability of environmental conditions on site when preparing prescriptions, and shall include in each prescription a plan of action to address emergencies that could occur during prescribed burnings.
(d) The division of forestry is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this part, including, but not limited to, the certification of prescribed burn managers and guidelines for a prescribed burn prescription. All such rules and regulations shall be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
