Bk 99 - Brush Fire Operations Flashcards
Brush ICS Chart:
Map Display Symbols:
For large scale incidents (Brush), the “_____” card system is a dynamic manual system used to maintain resources status by assignment and location at an incident.
T-Card
ICS Resource Tacking “T-Card” Color Coding:
Engines are the color _______
Strike Teams/Tactical Teams are the color ______
Engines: Rose
ST/TT: Tan (Blacked out corner on T card indicates ST or TT)
Brush ICS Division and Group Supervisors
The Division Supervisor shall direct the operations of strike teams and other resources within a GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
The Group Supervisor shall supervise FUNCTIONAL or _______ operations which may cross Division geographic boundaries.
task oriented operations
A large part of making brush fire strategy and tactics effective is preplanning.
Prior to the start of the brush season all officers need to review their commands to assure that training has taken place in the following areas:
- Brush Fire Hose Lays
- Helicopter Support
- Standard Wildland Firefighting Safety Rules
- Use of proper Firefighting Protective Clothing and Equipment
Prior to the start of the brush season, officers whose districts contain grass and brush areas should review their districts regarding the following:
- Brush Inventories
- Mountain area roads
- Condition of Fire Roads
- Canyon Areas
- Command Post Locations
- Staging Locations
- Helispot Locations
- Communication “Problem areas”
Our normal first-alarm brush response is based on a “hit it hard and fast” concept.
You can expect to get what resources on the initial dispatch?
-5 engines
-1 light force
-2 helicopters (at least one with water-drop capability)
-2 Chief Officers.
If it is a high hazard day, companies will be predeployed.
During a brush response, you should notify responding companies if you “have a loom-up”.
Note the shape, color and angle of the smoke column, as it informs you of ________.
wind direction and air stability, and hints at what is burning.
When you arrive at the scene of a brush, you should size up the condition and make an initial on-scene radio report.
Your sizeup report should consist of:
- EXACT LOCATION OF FIRE: It is a good idea to give map page numbers and cadastral reference in case someone is still looking.
- SIZE AND TERRAIN OF FIRE: An acre is an area about 200 feet by 200 feet. Terrain considerations include effect on the fire, hazardous areas, access to the fire, and noticeable barriers to the fire.
- MATERIAL BURNING: Light, medium or heavy brush?
- WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED: Up-canyon, down-canyon, etc.?
- EXPOSURES: Structures and other improvements. Is fire exposing more brush? Is fire threatening more than one slope or canyon?
- LIFE HAZARD: Need for police for evacuation, traffic control, etc.
- ASSISTANCE NEEDED: If you estimate that the job is too big for the first-alarm assignment, order help.
An acre is an area about ______ feet by _____ feet.
200x200ft
Another good rough measurement is that the playing area of a football field is about an acre.
What tactic?
______ attack is one where fire control starts at a point on the perimeter of the fire and works along one or both edges (flanks) toward the head of the fire, extinguishing as you go along.
This is the primary method used by the Los Angeles City Fire Department
-Direct attack
We normally use what is called a SCRATCH LINE ATTACK, which means that we work rapidly along the flank, making a control line just wide enough to establish control and then going back and coldtrailing the line later.
Advantages of a “scratch line” attack include:
-having a safe area (the burn area) for escape
-keeping the fire as small as possible
-eliminate uncertain elements involved in backfiring ops
Disadvantages of a “scratch line” attack include:
-a longer fire line
-more overhaul
-personnel working directly in the heat and smoke.
What tactic?
______ attack is one where the fire officer selects a place where the terrain is favorable for control of the fire. Fuel may be sparse and the land rocky, or a convenient road, ridge, or pre-cut firebreak may be selected to make a stand. The site selected may be some distance from the current fire perimeter and you concede all of the intervening territory to the fire.
Indirect Attack
Which tactic (direct or indirect attack) SHOULD NOT be used in heavy fuel, high winds or to stop the fire head?
Indirect attack
Advantages of the indirect attack method include the fact that personnel can work in relative comfort and are able to take advantage of favorable terrain, thus perhaps reducing the amount of coldtrailing necessary.
Disadvantages include:
safety is difficult to provide for as members are sometimes working in unburned brush and rough terrain (ridges, etc.).
In either the direct or indirect attack, the final fire perimeter must be coldtrailed thoroughly and patrols continued until the fire is dead out.
Most of our smaller fires are controlled with a direct attack and most of our larger fires are controlled with?
a combination of direct and indirect methods.
Your initial point of attack should be first to PREVENT LOSS OF LIFE, then to prevent property damage through further extension of the fire (protect exposures), then to confine the fire to its area of origin and then to extinguish it completely.
The most common action for a first-in engine company is to _______.
attack the hot flank.
In the fire area, consideration must be given to proper placement of apparatus. It is very important that streets are not blocked.
Consideration must be given to ______ into locations so that apparatus can exit the area if evacuation becomes necessary or to relocate as soon as the fire moves past a given location.
Backing
The MINIMUM ACTION to be taken by your company when assigned to PROTECT an immediately exposed structure should include:
-surveying the area you are protecting and giving priority of protection
While surveying area to determine which houses need to be protected, check for OPEN windows and doors on the exposed side. When the time comes for action, lay out enough hose to cover the entire structure INCLUDING the roof. Park the apparatus in a SAFE location, lay out a protection line, keep the engine RUNNING. When the fire has passed over, put out spot fires and move on to the next structure.
Structure Protection
The following are ways structures become ignited at brush fires:
- Flying brands igniting shingle or shake roofs.
- Heat or flames trapped beneath the eaves of a roof.
- Burning debris blown through ground or attic vents.
- Windows broken from exposure to heat and severe drafts.
- Doors or windows left open.
- Direct exposure from:
a. Brush, trees, shrubbery, dry grass, leaves.
b. Wooden fences (especially the split-stake type).
c. Wood piles, particularly if adjacent to windows or eaves.
d. Combustible rubbish piles.
e. Garden furniture pads and combustible furniture.
f. Motor vehicles
g. Bamboo or woven-reed windbreaks.
h. Combustible decorations or furniture near broken windows.
The following actions should be taken to aid in protecting structures:
- Close ALL doors and windows. Also, close all drapes, curtains and blinds. LIGHTWEIGHT curtains should be removed.
- Connect garden hoses.
- Place any available ladders to the roof on side away from fire.
- Roll up auto windows. Put the car in the garage, heading out.
- LEAVE LIGHTS ON IN STRUCTURE. You will appreciate why if you have to find that house up on the hill after dark or in smoke!
- Where possible remove combustible objects that are a direct exposure
- Place combustible garden furniture and pads in garage or house. In any event, do not leave them near a structure.
When you are sent to a fire (or moved up) to an area outside your normal radio frequency area, switch over to the new frequency when?
When you leave quarters.
The ultimate objective at a brush fire is to contain the fire to a given perimeter by?
establishing a fire control line around it
Fire Control Lines
A ______ line is an unfinished preliminary control line made as an EMERGENCY ACTION to check the spread of the fire, and to establish control of the perimeter. This method might be used on a small fire adjacent to the roadway.
Scratch Line
(A scratch line is only an aid in quick control of the fire and will have to be coldtrailed as soon as possible.)
Fire Control Lines
A ______ line is a firebreak that is wide enough for PERMANENT control that can be used in a direct or indirect attack. This type of line can be constructed by personnel with tools or tractors.
Control Line
When does Patrolling a fire control line begin?
must begin as soon as the line is established and must continue until the fire is “dead out”
The use of the 1¾” hose as a brush FIREFIGHTING line IS NOT recommended.
This is due to:
-high gpm nozzle flows
-nozzle reaction
-kinking at low pressures
-possible thermal damage to the hose jacket.
(Consideration should be given to using 1¾”, or larger diameter hose as SUPPLY lines between the apparatus and fire control line anchor point, if the distance is excessive thus minimizing friction loss.)
Methods of Brush Hose EXTENSION:
-Hose Rolls (for STEEP terrain and HEAVY brush)
-Bucket Brigade (pass equipment up line)
-Wet Line/Dry Line Method (drag dry line up control line for extension)
-Continuous Line Method (Line added at the apparatus, works better going DOWNHILL)
Pulling Hose with Helicopters
Sling load capabilities of a helicopter is approximately _____ lbs.
750 lbs
When a fire occurs in an area remote from a water source, the Incident Commander must decide whether to:
set up a WATER RELAY operation or have apparatus SHUTTLE water to the fire
Water Relay
When a relay is required for an initial commitment, the first-in company officer automatically becomes the ______ officer.
Relay Officer
(If a relay is needed after companies have been committed, an available BATTALION CHIEF may be assigned as the relay officer.)
Water Relay Operations
The relay officer should order the number of engines needed to complete the relay. Apparatus should lay hose “CARAVAN STYLE”
Estimate one apparatus per _____ mile PLUS one extra triple for the hydrant.
1/10th
_______ will permit water to be picked up from streams, lakes, swimming pools, and other sources of water.
This appliance may be utilized where the distance from, or the height above, the water source makes it impractical to draft with hard suction hoses.
Siphon Ejectors
(Siphon Ejectors are referenced by the SIZE of the INLET hose dimension)
COLDTRAILING is the same as OVERHAULING at a structure fire. Water alone is not sufficient, HAND TOOLS must be extensively used.
A well constructed coldtrail is HALF IN and HALF OUT of the BURN and a portion is scraped down to mineral earth (dirt).
What is the recommended width of the trail?
BETWEEN the SAME HEIGHT as the brush and TWICE the HEIGHT of the brush, depending on the terrain, wind, etc
Coldtrailing
In order to prevent burning or smoldering objects such as cactus, pineapples, logs etc. from rolling downhill past the fireline, it is necessary to trench below them.
A trench should never be LESS THAN ____ foot wide and _____ foot deep.
1ft wide by 1ft deep minimum
The worst thing for a shovel blade is paint due to mud and dirt sticking to the paint.
If you must paint your shovels, spray a thin coat of ________. It wears off almost immediately.
Aluminum paint
Coldtrailing Team
1st member cuts heavy limbs/brush
2nd member throws cut items into burn
3rd member scrapes trail to dirt.
The last man is the Captain. What is his job?
Inspect and guarantee that the coldtrail is secure.
Coldtrailing on a slope is easiest if done from the top down, but it is BEST if it is done from _____ to ______.
Bottom to top (better eye contact with ground)
Coldtrailing checklist:
- All smoldering material along the fire edge and into the burn is extinguished.
- All special threats such as logs, stumps low hanging limbs, pineapples, etc. have been eliminated as threats.
- You have looked for and removed all burning roots that are near the line.
- You have remained alert for embers or sparks in the unburned area across the line
- You have taken the line down to mineral earth.
Helicopter water tank filling
The ______ assumes responsibility for, and is the ultimate authority regarding the safe operation of a helicopter during any flight or ground activity
Helicopter Pilot
