Plan Burn Editor

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Getting Started
• Layer Management
• Geometry Types
• Style Selection
• Drawing Features
• Managing Features
• Advanced Features
• Tips & Troubleshooting
• Video Tutorials

Overview

The Plan Burn Editor is a specialized prescribed fire planning system designed for professional burn operations management and EMSINA-compliant mapping. This advanced tool integrates ArcGIS SketchViewModel technology with specialized burn operation workflows, providing comprehensive mapping capabilities with professional fire management symbols, advanced geometric operations, and intelligent layer management optimized for prescribed burn planning, execution, and documentation.

Key Features:

• EMSINA Standard Compliance: Professional fire management symbols and mapping standards for prescribed burn operations
• Comprehensive Burn Planning Workflow: Complete support for burn area design, ignition planning, and safety zone mapping
• Specialized Symbol Library: 20+ professional burn operation symbols including ignition points, water sources, assembly areas, and fire breaks
• Advanced Drawing Integration: ArcGIS SketchViewModel with coordinate transformation and spatial reference handling
• Intelligent Layer Management: Automatic creation of Plan Burn data layer groups with proper categorization
• Integrated Advanced Editor: Built-in geometric operations for buffer, union, intersect, and difference operations
• Multi-Mode Support: Single and multiple feature drawing capabilities for enhanced productivity

Getting Started

Opening the Plan Burn Editor

1. Look for the Unified Editor icon (pencil) on the right toolbar
2. Click the icon to open the editor panel
3. Select Plan Burn mode from the mode selector at the top

What You Can Do

• Create burn operation plans with EMSINA standards
• Map ignition points, fire breaks, and burn boundaries
• Plan water sources and emergency assembly areas
• Create detailed burn progression maps

Layer Management

Setting Up Layer Names

Before you can start drawing, you need to set a layer name:

1. Use Dropdown: Select an existing plan burn name from the list
2. Type New Name: Enter a new burn plan name in the text field
3. Wait for Activation: Drawing tools become available once a name is set

The system automatically creates these layers when you provide a layer name:

• Plan Burn Point layer (for burn operation points)
• Plan Burn Polyline layer (for burn lines and boundaries)
• Plan Burn Polygon layer (for burn areas and zones)
• Plan Burn Graphics layer (for temporary drawing)

Geometry Types

Choose the geometry type that matches what you want to create:

Point Features

• Best for: Ignition points, water sources, assembly areas, equipment locations
• Examples: Landing zones, rain gauges, escape routes, hazard markers

Line Features

• Best for: Fire breaks, burn lines, section boundaries, direction arrows
• Examples: Strip lighting patterns, containment lines, hand lighting paths

Polygon Features

• Best for: Burn areas, zones, constraints, boundaries
• Examples: Burn boundaries, planned burn areas, hazard zones, constraints

Style Selection

Choosing Styles

1. Set your layer name first (styles are disabled until you do)
2. Select your geometry type (Point, Line, or Polygon)
3. Click on any style icon to select it
4. The selected style will be highlighted with EMSINA standard symbols

Point Styles

Icon	Style Name
	Landing
	Assembly Area Point
	Water Point
	Hazard Sticks
	Rain Gauge
	Aerial Ignition
	Escape Route
	Special Point

Line Styles

Icon	Style Name
	Strip Light
	Spot Light
	Fire Break
	Direction Arrow
	Section Boundary
	Historic Lines
	Hand Lighting
	Text

Polygon Styles

Icon	Style Name
	Burn Boundary
	Burn Plan Area
	Constraint
	Hazard

Special Options

Text Options: For Text line style, enter display label and choose font size (8-72pt)

Drawing Features

Before You Start

1. ✅ Set a layer name
2. ✅ Choose geometry type
3. ✅ Select an EMSINA standard style

Multiple Mode Drawing

Enable continuous drawing to create multiple features without repeatedly clicking draw buttons. This mode allows rapid digitization of complex geometries and multiple feature creation.

Drawing Steps

For Points:

1. Click the Point draw button
2. Click on the map where you want the burn operation point
3. The point appears immediately with EMSINA symbology

For Lines:

1. Click the Line draw button
2. Click points along your desired burn line or boundary
3. Double-click to finish the line

For Polygons:

1. Click the Polygon draw button
2. Click points around your burn area
3. Double-click to close the polygon

Visual Feedback

• Draw buttons light up when active
• Disabled buttons show helpful tooltips
• EMSINA standard symbols appear on the map as you draw

Feature Information

When you save features, the system automatically records:

• Layer name
• Display label (if provided)
• EMSINA style attributes
• Username for tracking
• Creation timestamp

Managing Features

Selecting Features

1. Click the Select button (requires layer name)
2. Click any plan burn feature on the map
3. Feature information loads into the editor
4. Current EMSINA style is detected and displayed

Editing Features

1. Select a feature first
2. Click the Edit button
3. Use the editing tools to modify the geometry:
   • Move vertices by dragging them
   • Add vertices by clicking on edges
   • Delete vertices by selecting and pressing Delete
   • Move entire features by dragging
4. Click Save when finished

Deleting Features

1. Select the feature you want to delete
2. Click the Delete button (trash icon)
3. Confirm when prompted
4. The feature is removed and layers refresh automatically

Advanced Features

Multi-Draw Mode

Toggle between two drawing behaviors:

Single Mode (Default):

• Draw multiple shapes
• They combine into one feature when saved
• Good for complex burn units made of multiple segments

Multi Mode:

• Draw multiple shapes
• Each becomes a separate feature when saved
• Good for creating multiple ignition points or water sources quickly

Advanced Editor

When you have a layer name set, the Advanced Editor becomes available for complex burn planning operations:

• Union: Combine multiple burn areas into unified zones
• Buffer: Create safety buffer zones around burn features
• Difference: Create exclusion zones by subtracting protected areas
• Intersection: Find overlapping areas between burn zones and constraints
• Cut: Split burn areas using cutting lines

Professional Burn Planning Applications

Union Operations: Combine multiple planned burn patches into single operational units

Buffer Operations: Create safety zones around:

• Water sources and supply points
• Assembly areas and escape routes
• Sensitive environmental areas

Difference Operations: Exclude protected areas from burn boundaries:

• Wildlife habitat zones
• Cultural heritage sites
• Infrastructure protection areas

Intersection Analysis: Identify overlaps between:

• Burn zones and environmental constraints
• Multiple burn unit boundaries
• Operational areas and safety zones

Tips & Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Problem	Solution
Drawing buttons are grayed out	Set a layer name first in the dropdown or text field
EMSINA symbols not showing	Make sure layer name is set and style is selected
Can't select features	Ensure layer name is set and target features exist
Edit mode not working	Select a feature first, then click Edit button
Save failures	Check that geometry is complete and layer name is provided
Text line won't save	Enter text in the Display Label field for Text style
Font size options missing	Select Text line style first to enable font options

Best Practices for Burn Planning

• Start with boundaries: Create burn boundaries first, then add internal features
• Use EMSINA standards: All symbols follow EMSINA guidelines for consistency
• Plan escape routes: Always include escape routes and assembly areas
• Mark water sources: Identify all available water sources and access points
• Consider weather: Use rain gauge locations for weather monitoring planning
• Safety first: Mark all hazards and create appropriate safety zones

Working with Text Lines

1. Select the Text line style
2. Enter your label text in the Display Label field
3. Choose font size from the dropdown (8-72pt)
4. Draw the line where you want the text to appear
5. Text will render along the line path

Video Tutorials

Adding Plan Burn Data

Modifying Plan Burn Data

Deleting Plan Burn Data

Using Advanced Tools